Sorry it's taken so long. Here's the next chapter.
Star Wars: Remix version
Chapter Twenty: The Escape
The group exited the garbage room into a dusty, unused hallway. Han, Leia and Luke removed the trooper suits and strapped on the blaster belts.
"If we can just avoid any more female advice, we ought to be able to get out of here" Han said gruffly. Anna and Leia exchanged glances. Luke smiled and scratched his head as he took a blaster from Han.
"Well, let's get moving!" He declared.
Chewie began growling and pointed to the hatch to the garbage room, as he ran away and then stopped howling.
"Where are you going?" Han asked.
Something banged against the hatch and a long, slimy tentacle worked its way out of the doorway searching for a victim. Han aimed his blaster.
"No, wait. They'll hear!" Leia cried, but Han fired anyway. The noise of the blast echoed
relentlessly throughout the empty passageway. Anna simply shook her head in disgust.
"Come here, you big coward!" Han barked, but Chewie whimpered and shook his head. "Chewie! Come here!" Anna turned to Han and glared at him.
"Listen. I don't know who you are, or where you came from, but from now on, you do as I tell you. Okay?" She commanded. Han was taken aback by the command and rolled his eyes.
"Look, Your Highness, let's get one thing straight! I take orders from one person! Me!" He barked.
"It's a wonder you're still alive" Anna remarked, starting down the hallway.
"Padme better appreciate this" Han muttered. Leia glanced at him sharply.
"What did you say?" She asked.
"Nothing" Han said quickly. "Let's go"
Luke, Leia, Han, Chewbacca, and Anna ran down an empty hallway and stopped before a bay window overlooking the pirateship. Troopers were milling about the ship. Luke took out his pocket comlink.
"There she is" Han said, looking at his ship with pride.
"See-Threepio, do you copy?" Luke spoke into the comlink. Threepio's voice came over the static.
"For the moment. Uh, we're in the main hangar across from the ship" the droid told him.
"We're right above you. Stand by" Luke replied.
Han was watching the dozen or so troops moving in and out of the pirateship. Anna moved towards Han, touched his arm and pointed out the window to the ship.
"You came in that thing? You're braver that I thought" She said. Leia rolled her eyes.
"Nice! Come on!" Han said, giving her a dirty look. They started off down the hallway. They rounded a corner and ran right into twenty Imperial stormtroopers heading toward them. Both groups were
taken by surprise and stopped in their tracks.
"It's them! Blast them!" One of the troopers ordered.
Before even thinking, Han drew his laser pistol and charged the troops, firing. His blaster knocked one of the stormtroopers into the air. Chewie followed his captain down the corridor, stepping over the fallen trooper on the floor.
"Get back to the ship!" Han shouted to the others.
"Where are you going?" Luke shouted. "Come back!"
Han had already rounded a corner and did not hear the younger man.
"He certainly has courage" Leia said, smiling.
"What good will it do us if he gets himself killed?" Anna asked. "Come on!" Luke, Leia and Anna started off toward the starship hangar.
Han chased the stormtroopers down a long subhallway. He was yelling and brandishing his laser pistol. The troops reached a dead end and were forced to turn and fight. Han stopped a few feet from them and assumed a defensive position. The troops began to raise their laser guns. Soon all ten troopers were moving into an attack position in front of the lone starpirate. Han's determined look began to fade as the troops began to advance. Han jumped backward as they fired at him.
Chewbacca ran down the subhallway in a last-ditch attempt to save his bold captain. Suddenly he heard the firing of blasters and yelling. Around the corner shoots Han, pirate extraordinaire, running for his life, followed by a host of furious stormtroopers. Chewbacca turned and started running the other way also.
Luke fired his laser pistol wildly as he, Leia and Anna rushed down a narrow subhallway, chased by several stormtroopers. They quickly reached the end of the subhallway and raced through an open hatchway.
The trio raced through the hatch onto a narrow bridge that spanned a huge, deep shaft that seemed to go into infinity. The bridge had been retracted into the wall of the shaft, and Luke almost rushed into the abyss. He lost his balance off the end of the bridge as Leia, behind him, took hold of his arm and pulled him back.
"I think we took a wrong turn" Luke gasped out.
Blasts from the stormtroopers' blasters exploded nearby reminding them of the oncoming danger. Luke fired back at the advancing troops. Leia reached over and hit a switch that popped the hatch door shut with a resounding boom, leaving them precariously perched on a short piece of bridge overhang. Laserfire from the troopers continuesd to hit the steel door.
"There's no lock!" Leia cried. Anna aimed her blaster and blasted the controls.
"That oughta hold it for a while" She remarked. "Quick, we've got to get across. Find the control that extends the bridge"
"Oh, I think you just blasted it" Luke said, looking at the blasted bridge control. The stormtroopers on the opposite side of the door began making ominous drilling and pounding sounds.
"They're coming through!" Anna shouted.
Luke noticed something on his stormtrooper belt, when laserfire hit the wall behind him. Luke aims his laser pistoed at a stormtrooper perched on a higher bridge overhang across the abyss from them. They exchanged fire. Two more troops appeared on another overhang, also firing. A trooper was hit, and grabbed at his chest. Another trooper standing on the bridge overhung was hit by Luke's laserfire, and plummeted down the shaft. The troopers moved back off the bridge; Luke handed the blaster to Leia.
"Here, hold this" He said.
Luke pulled a thin nylon cable from his trooper utility belt. It had a grappler hook on it. A trooper appeared on a bridge overhang and fired at Luke and Leia. As Luke worked with the rope, Leia and Anna returned the laser fire. Another trooper appeared and fired at them, as the girls returned his fire as well. Suddenly, the hatch door began to open, revealing the feet of more troops.
"Here they come!" Leia warned.
Leia hit one of the stormtroopers on the bridge above, and he fell into the abyss. Luke tossed the rope across the gorge and it wrapped itself around an outcropping of pipes. He tugged on the rope to make sure it was secure, then grabbed the princess in one of his arms. Leia clung to the other arm. Luke pushed off and they swung across the treacherous abyss to the corresponding hatchway on the opposite side. Just as
Luke, Leia and Anna reached the far side of the canyon, the stormtroopers broke through the hatch and began to fire at the escaping duo. Luke returned the fire before ducking into the tiny subhallway.
Threepio looked around at the troops milling about the pirateship entry ramp.
"Where could they be?" He asked.
Artoo, plugged into the computer socket, turned his dome left and right, beeping a response.
Han and Chewbacca ran down a long corridor with several troopers hot on their trail.
"Close the blast doors!" A trooper shouted.
At the end of the hallway, blast doors began to close in front of them. The young starpilot and his furry companion raced past the huge doors just as they are closing, and managed to get off a couple off laserblasts at the pursuing troops before the doors slam shut.
"Open the blast doors! Open the blast doors!" The trooper shouted.
Han Solo and Chewbacca, their weapons in hand, leaned back against the wall surveying the forward bay, watching the Imperial stormtroopers make their rounds of the hangar.
"Didn't we just leave this party?" Han asked. Chewbacca growled a reply, as Luke, Leia and the princess joined them.
"What kept you?" Han asked.
"We ran into some old friends" Leia replied.
"Is the ship all right?" Luke asked.
"Seems okay, if we can get to it. Just hope the old man got the tractor beam out of commission" Han replied.
INTERIOR: DEATH STAR -- HALLWAY.
Suddenly Luke spots a battle from his group's vantage point.
"Look!" He pointed. The others looked to see Ben and Sky emerging from the hallways on the far side of the docking bay.
Threepio and Artoo-Detoo were in the center of the Death Star's
Imperial docking bay
"Come on, Artoo, we're going!" Threepio said firmly.
Threepio ducked out of sight as the seven stormtroopers who were guarding the starship rushed past them heading towards Ben and The Sith Knight. He pulled on Artoo.
Han, Chewie, Luke, and Leia tensely watched the duel. The troops rushed toward the battling knights.
"Now's our chance! Go!" Han shouted.
They started for the Millennium Falcon. Ben saw the troops charging toward him and realized that he was trapped. Sky took advantage of Ben's momentary distraction and brought his mighty lightsaber down on the old man. Ben managed to deflect the blow and swiftly turned around. The old Jedi Knight looked over his shoulder at Luke, lifted his saber from Sky's then watched his opponent with a serene look on his face.
Sky brought his saber down, cutting old Ben in half. Ben's cloak fell to the floor in two parts, but Ben was not in it. Sky was puzzled at Ben's disappearance and poked at the empty
cloak. As the guards were distracted, the adventurers and the
robots reached the starship. Luke saw Ben cut in two and started for him. Aghast, he yelled out.
"No!"
The stormtroopers turned toward Luke and began firing at him. The robots were already moving up the ramp into the Millennium Falcon, while Luke, transfixed by anger and awe, returned their fire. Han joined in the laserfire. Sky looked up and advanced toward them, as one of his troopers was struck down.
"Come on!" Han shouted to Luke.
"Come on! Luke, its too late!" Leia cried, reaching for her brother.
"Blast the door! Kid!" Han shouted.
Luke fired his pistol at the door control panel, and it
exploded. The door began to slide shut. Three troopers charged forward firing laser bolts, as the door slid to a close behind them, shutting Sky and the other troops out of the docking bay. A stormtrooper lay dead at the feet of his onrushing compatriots. Luke started for the advancing troops, as Han and Leia moved up the ramp into the pirateship. He fired, hitting a stormtrooper, who crumbled to the floor.
"Run, Luke! Run!" Ben's voice said.
Luke looked around to see where the voice came from. He turned toward the pirateship, ducking Imperial gunfire from the troopers and raced into the ship.
Han pulled back on the controls and the ship began to move. The dull thud of laser bolts bouncing off the outside of the ship was heard as Chewie adjusted his controls.
"I hope the old man got that tractor beam out if commission, or this is going to be a real short trip. Okay, hit it!" Han ordered. Chewbacca growled in agreement.
The Millennium Falcon powered away from the Death Star docking bay, making a spectacular turn and disappeared into the vastness of space.
Luke, saddened by the loss of Obi-Wan Kenobi, stared off blankly as the robots looked on. Leia put a blanket around him protectively, and Luke turned and looked up at her. She sat down beside him. Anna watched them from her chair and sighed wistfully.
Han spotted approaching enemy ships.
"We're coming up on the sentry ships. Hold 'em off! Angle the deflector shields while I charge up the main guns!" Han told Chewie.
Luke looked downward sadly, shaking his head back and forth, as Leia smiled comfortingly at him.
"I can't believe he's gone" Luke said sadly. Anna stood up and walked over to them, placing a hand on Luke's shoulder.
"There wasn't anything you could have done" She said softly.
Han rushed into the hold area and beckoned for Luke to follow him.
"Come on, buddy, we're not out of this yet!" Han said urgently. Han climbed into his attack position in the topside gunport. Luke got up and moved out toward the gunports as Leia and Anna headed for the cockpit.
Luke climbed down the ladder into the gunport cockpit, settling into one of the two main laser cannons mounted in large rotating turrets on either side of the ship. Han adjusted his headset as he sat before the controls of his laser cannon, then spoke into the attached microphone.
"You in, kid? Okay, stay sharp!" Han said, without waiting for an answer.
Chewbacca and Princess Anna searched the heavens for attacking TIE fighters. Leia sat worriedly wringing her hands. The Wookiee pulled back on the speed controls as the ship bounced slightly.
Computer graphic readouts formed on Han's target screen, as he reached for controls.
Luke sat in readiness for the attack, his hand on the laser cannon's control button. Chewbacca spotted the enemy ships and barked.
"Here they come!" Anna said over the intercom.
The Imperial TIE fighters moved towards the Millennium Falcon, one each veering off to the left and right of the pirateship. The stars whipped past behind the Imperial pilot as he adjusted his maneuvering joy stick.
The TIE fighter raced past the Falcon, firing laser beams as it passed.
Threepio was seated in the hold area, next to Artoo-Detoo. The pirateship bounced and vibrated as the power went out in the room and then came back on.
A TIE fighter maneuvered in front of Han, who followed it and fired at it with the laser cannon. Luke did likewise, as the fighter streaked into view. The ship suffered a minor hit, and bounced slightly.
Two TIE fighters dove down toward the pirateship. Luke fired at an unseen fighter.
"They're coming in too fast!" Luke shouted. The ship shuddered as a laserbolt hit very close to the
cockpit. The Wookiee chattered something to Leia. The two TIE fighters fired a barrage of laserbeams at the
pirateship.
A laserbolt streaked into the side of the pirateship. The ship lurched violently, throwing poor Threepio into a cabinet full of small computer chips.
"Oooh!" Threepio muttered.
Anna watched the computer readout as Chewbacca manipulated the ship's controls.
"We've lost lateral controls" She said worriedly.
"Don't worry, she'll hold together" Han said in a not so reassuring voice.
An enemy laserbolt hit the pirateship's control panel, causing it to blow out in a shower of sparks.
"You hear me, baby? Hold together!" Han spoke to the ship and Anna and Leia exchanged glances.
Artoo-Detoo advanced toward the smoking sparking control panel, dousing the inferno by spraying it with fire retardant beeping all the while.
Luke swiveled in his gun mount, following the TIE fighter with his laser cannon.
Han aimed his laser cannon at the enemy fighter. A TIE fighter streaked in front of the starship. The girls watched the TIE fighter ship fly over. A TIE fighter headed right for the pirateship, then zoomed overhead.
Luke followed the TIE fighter across his field of view, firing laserbeams from his cannon. A TIE fighter dove past the pirateship. Luke fired at a TIE fighter. At his port, Han followed a fighter in his sights, releasing a blast of laserfire. He connected, and the fighter exploded into fiery dust. Han laughed victoriously.
Two TIE fighters moved toward and over the Millennium Falcon, unleashing a barrage of laserbolts at the ship. Another TIE fighter moved in on the pirateship and Luke, smiling, fired the laser cannon at it, scoring a spectacular direct hit.
"Got him! I got him!" Luke shouted.
Han turned and gave Luke a victory wave which Luke gleefully returned.
"Great kid! Don't get cocky" Han said, grinning. He turned back to his laser cannon. Two more TIE fighters crossed in front of the pirateship.
While Chewbacca manipulated the controls, Anna turned, looking over her shoulder out the ports.
"There are still two more of them out there!" She cried. A TIE fighter moved up over the pirateship, firing laserblasts at it.
Luke and Han looked into their respective projected target screens. An Imperial fighter crossed Han's port, and Han swiveled in his chair, following it with blasts from his laser cannon. Another fighter crossed Luke's port, and he reacted in a like manner, the glow of his target screen lighting his face. The TIE fighter zoomed toward the pirateship, firing destructive blasts at it.
Luke fired a laserblast at the approaching enemy fighter, and it burst into a spectacular explosion. Luke's projected screen gave a readout of the hit. The pirateship bounced slightly as it is struck by the enemy fire.
The last of the attacking Imperial TIE fighters loomed in, firing upon the Falcon.
Han swiveled behind his cannon, his aim describing the arc of the TIE fighter. The fighter came closer, firing at the pirateship, but a well-aimed blast from Han's laser cannon hit the attacker, which blew up in a small atomic shower of burning fragments.
"That's it! We did it!" Luke cried.
The princess jumped up and gave Chewie a congratulatory hug.
"We did it!" Anna said. Leia smiled happily.
The victorious Millennium Falcon moved off majestically through space.
Darth Sky strode into the control room, where Tarkin was watching the huge view screen. A sea of stars was before him.
"Are they away?" Tarkin asked.
"They have just made the jump into hyperspace" Sky replied.
"You're sure the homing beacon is secure aboard their ship? I'm taking an awful risk, Sky. This had better work" Tarkin warned.
Han, removed his gloves and smiling, and was at the controls of the ship. Chewie moved into the aft section to check the damage. Anna was seated near Han.
"Not a bad bit of rescuing, huh? You know, sometimes I even amaze myself" Han said, grinning.
"That doesn't sound too hard. Besides, they let us go. It's the only explanation for the ease of our escape" Anna said.
"Easy...you call that easy?" Han asked in disbelief.
"Their tracking us!" Anna said firmly.
"Not this ship, sister." Han informed her. Frustrated, Anna shook her head.
"At least the information in Artoo is still intact" She said dryly.
"What's so important? What's he carrying?" Han asked.
"The technical readouts of that battle station. I only hope that when the data is analyzed, a weakness can be found. It's not over yet!" Anna declared. Han sighed.
"It is for me" He said. "I didn't sign up to be apart of the rebellion. I'm only doing this for Padme" Luckily, Luke and Leia were not in the cockpit.
"You know Senetor Padme?" Anna asked. Han shrugged.
"She's an old friend. I do hope she is still alive" He muttered. Anna stared at Han, seeing a different side to him.
"I don't think she was on Alderann" She said quietly. "She went back to Naboo for a convention, a couple of days ago" Han nodded as Anna left the cockpit. She wondered what further surprises were in store.