Death Star I
They had left the droids behind in the control room when they left to go get the princess, now Chewbacca stood between Hand and Luke as they rode the turbolift to the detention center. Their plan was a longshot, they knew, but they had to try. As the turbolift doors opened the imperial officer in charge approached them.
"Where are you taking this…thing?" the officer asked disgusted as he looked at the Wookiee.
"Prisoner transfer from cell block one-one-three-eight" Luke reported trying to sound like a storm trooper.
"I Wasn't notified" The Officer Said "I'll have to clear it"
The officer turned around to go back to the console. Luke and Han looked around and saw three other troopers in the detention area. Han discreetly reached down and undid one of the binders. Chewbacca let out an angry roar and smashed the nearest trooper over the head.
"Look out he's loose!" Han shouted.
"He'll rip us apart!" Luke added as the two pulled their blasters and fired, purposefully missing Chewbacca but hitting the gate controls, cameras and troopers.
The officer was the last to go down as Han ran around and started using the console to find the princess. He called up a readout and started scrolling down the list until he found her.
"Cell twenty-one-eighty-seven" He shouted to Luke who was already going down the corridor "go get her I'll hold them off!"
As Luke looked for the cell a voice came over the intercom wanting to know what was going on. Han tried to play off the noise as a weapons malfunction but the voice on the other end wasn't buying it and told him a squad was coming up. Han tried to warn them there was a reactor leak but the voice demanded his operating number so naturally Han shot the console.
"Boring conversation anyway" the smuggler said to himself before turning to yell down the hall. "Luke! We're going to have company!"
The young Jedi finally found the cell holding the princess. Not knowing how to open it without the proper security codes he pointed his blaster at the control panel and fired. The door opened and he stepped through the smoke to see the blonde haired princess sitting up on the bed.
"Aren't you a little short to be a storm trooper?" she asked as Luke ripped of his helmet.
"I'm Luke Skywalker, I'm here to rescue you. I've got your Artoo unit; I'm here with Obi-Wan Kenobi" he exclaimed causing her jump off the bed.
"Obi-Wan Kenobi is here? Where is he?" she asked as she went out the door.
In the main control room Darth Vader and Grand Moff Tarkin had formulated a plan to allow the freighter to escape should it try. They would put a tracking beacon on it and follow it back to the rebel base. After they issued the appropriate orders Vader then told the Moff that his old master was here but the Moff was skeptical.
"Obi-Wan Kenobi? What makes you think so?" the Moff asked him.
"A tremor in the force. The last time I felt was in the presence of my old master" Vader told the skeptical Tarkin.
"Surely he must be dead by now" Tarkin said to Vader. "The jedi are extinct. Their fire went out in the galaxy long ago. You yourself all to that Lord Vader. Youand Lady Vindicta are all that's left of their religion"
No sooner had he said this when the intercom buzzed reporting a disturbance in the detention cell holding the princess. Tarkin ordered all stations on alert and then told Vader if Obi-Wan was here that he couldn't be allowed to escape. But Vader knew that escape was not his plan. At last they would finish what they started on Mustafar.
In the detention block Han and Chewie were crouched behind the console waiting for the storm trooper squad to arrive. He glanced back over his shoulder to see if Luke had found the princess and saw them coming towards him still a good way down. At that moment he heard a buzzing sound coming from the turbolift door and told Chewie to get behind him. Moments later the storm troopers had cut a hole in the door and started coming through. Han and Chewie traded blaster fire with them for a few seconds and then retreated down the hallway meeting Luke and the princess halfway down.
"Can't get out that way" Han said gesturing over his shoulder.
"Great you've cut off our only escape route" Winter said to Hand with a look that said she thought the man was incompetent.
"Well maybe you'd like it back in your cell, your highness" Han retorted not appreciating the way he was being talked to.
Luke got on his comlink and tried to reach Threepio in the control room. The droid informed him that the entire station was alerted to their presence and that there was only one way in and one way out. Suddenly his comlink got quiet, right after Luke thought he heard someone telling the droids to open up. He crouched down with The princess and Han to return fire to the storm troops trying to rush down the hall. He wished he could reach his lightsaber hidden under his armor but he hadn't expected to need it. Lesson learned for later he thought.
"This is some rescue, didn't you have a plan for getting out?" she asked as the two men and the Wookiee traded blaster shots with the imperials.
Han looked and got a smirk on his face. "He's the brains sweetheart" he said pointing at Luke.
Winter grabbed the blaster from Luke and shot a grate next to Han who jumped back, a little annoyed.
"Hey!" he yelled at her.
She gave him another look "Somebody has to save our skins! Into the garbage shoot wise guy" she yelled at the smuggler before jumping into the opening.
Han and Chewbacca watched in astonishment as the princess disappeared. Chewbacca growled something about the smell but Han didn't care and ordered him into the garbage shoot. Han and Luke continued to shoot at the imperials a little bit longer before Luke disappeared into the hole. They each fired a few more shots before Han followed Luke down the chute.
The two slid along for a few seconds before tumbling into a room filled with a garbage. As Han got up he saw Luke stumbling towards a small hatch and trying to open it but it wouldn't budge. He looked around for Chewie and the blonde princess and saw them both scrambling to their feet as well. Then the smell hit.
"The garbage shoot was a great idea. What an interesting smell you've discovered." He said before turning back to Luke. "Get away from there" he said pointing his blaster.
Before Luke could warn him against it he fired a shot that ricocheted around the room. Everyone dove for cover until the bolt finally exploded on top of them. Luke told Han he'd tried that as they got up and Winter told him to put the blaster away before he killed everyone.
"Absolutely you worship, I had everything under control until you led us down here!" he said as he looked her in the eyes.
"It could be worse" she said as Chewbacca yelled out a growl and began to back up when something beneath them let out an inhuman moan.
"It's worse" Han said as Luke yelled that something was alive. "No, that's your imagination kid"
Suddenly Luke disappeared under the murky water as Han and Winter yelled for him. He re-emerged moments later with a tentacle wrapped around his throat as Winter extended a pipe and told him to grab on.
"Blast it, mines jammed" he managed to choke out.
Solo blasted into the water as Luke was dragged back under. The garbage room shuddered unexpectedly and Han and Chewie gave each other worried looks. Bubbles appeared in the water and Luke popped up above the surface saying the thing had let him go.
"I've got a bad feeling about this" Han said as the walls started closing in on them.
Everyone grabbed whatever long pipes they could find to try and brace the walls but they bent and snapped almost immediately. But the walls kept coming and Luke pulled out his comlink yelling for Threepio but got no answer.
"oh where could he be?" he exclaimed desperately.
In the control room above the hangar the two droids were hiding in a supply cabinet in the control tower. They could hear Luke on Threepio's comlink. The problem was they had left the comlink out on the desk. There was a loud explosion as the troopers blew open the door to the control tower and came bursting in. The doors to the supply cabinet flew open.
"they're madmen!" Threepio exclaimed "they're heading for the detention level. If you hurry you might catch them!""
The officer in charge looked at the droids then turned to his troops "Follow me!" he said ordering one to stay back and guard the control before taking off into the hallway.
Artoo and Threepio left claiming all the excitement had overloaded their circuits and that they were going to maintenance before they went down the hall in the opposite direction. A little farther down they found an empty service bay and Artoo plugged into a service panel. He was looking for any sign Luke, Han or the princess. But he couldn't find anything. Finally, Artoo beeped something at Threepio.
"Use the comlink? Oh my, I forgot I turned it off!" he said, switching it back on. "Are you there sir?"
"Threepio?" came the voice from the other end.
"Well we've had some troubles- "Threepio said before Luke cut him off.
"Shut down all the garbage masters on the detention level! Do you copy?" Luke said frantically trying to get to get the masher shut down everyone was crushed to death.
Threepio relayed the orders telling Artoo to shut down all the garbage mashers. There was a bunch of hollering and screaming coming through the comlink. He turned to Artoo.
"Listen to them Artoo they're dying. Curse my metal body. I wasn't fast enough. My master, my poor master" the droid said dejectedly.
Down in the garbage room Han, Luke, Chewbacca and Winter were cheering as the walls stopped. Now all they have to do was get the doors open and get back to the hangar. Luke raised the comlink again and heard Threepio telling Artoo they were dying.
"Threepio, we're alright" he yelled into the courtyard link. "We're alive you did great. Hey open the pressure hatch on…hey where are we?"
Han looked around for something to identify the garbage room and finally saw the number. "three-two-six-eight-two-seven" he told Luke who relayed it to Threepio.
The hatch opened and everyone climbed out. Han and Luke took the time to take off the storm trooper uniforms with Han grabbing his blaster and Luke getting his lightsaber ready. Obi-Wan was right, blasters were much to clumsy.
"Let's get out of here; as long as we don't follow any female advice we will be alright" Han said.
Chewie started growling and pointing at the hatch and started to back away. Han looked at him in disbelief until a tentacle started working it's way out of the hatch. He looked at it for moment before pointing his blaster at it.
"No wait they'll hear you!" Winter yelled as Han pulled the trigger and the blast echoed down the hallway.
"Listen I don't know who you are or where you came from." She continued "But from now on you do as I tell you" she told the smuggler.
"Listen, your worship. Let's get one thing straight. I take orders from one person, me." He said, stunned she had talked to him that way.
"Well it's a wonder you're still alive" she said turning around and running into Chewbacca "you trust him with your life?" she asked the Wookiee as she stepped around.
Han turned to Luke "No reward is worth this." He said as they started to follow her.
Obi-Wan slipped into the tractor beam area as an officer told a squad of storm troopers to guard the area until the alert was over. Slipping down into the trench he went around to the far side and disengaged the switch powering down the tractor beam. He slipped back around and waved his hand at a storm trooper who thought had heard something but surmised it was nothing at Obi-Wan's silent suggesting.
Sneaking down a hallway the group made it back to the far side of the hangar opposite of where the Millennium Falcon was surrounded by troops. Luke contacted Threepio on the comlink and learned the droids were right under them. Winter moved next to Han and pointed to the ship.
"You came in that thing? You're braver than I thought. "she told the smuggler
Han gave her a dirty look and told everyone to follow him down a hallway. As they rounded a corner they ran into a group of twenty storm troopers. Both groups were taken by surprise. The first storm trooper yelled to open fire, but before they could Han shot first hitting one of the imperials and took off running after them with Chewbacca hot on his heels.
"get back to the ship!" he yelled as he disappeared down the hallway with the Wookiee as Luke yelled for him to come back.
"Well he certainly has courage" the princess told him.
"What goods it going to do if it gets us killed, come on" he said leading her down the other hallway to get back to the ship.
Several storm troopers started chasing them and Luke was deflecting blaster shots with his lightsaber. They came to the end of the hallway and Winter opened the hatch. Racing through the hatch they almost fell because the bridge was retracted. Catching themselves before falling into the abyss Luke looked behind to see the imperials still coming.
"I think we took a wrong turn" he said as blasts from the storm troopers fire started hitting the doorway.
Reaching up Winter hit the control panel and then yelled that there was no lock. Luke hit it with his lightsaber before deactivating the blade. "that ought to hold them for awhile."
Winter looked around excitedly "we have to get across. Look for the controls for the bridge"
Luke looked back at the control panel he had just sliced through "I think I just destroyed them" he said as a loud drilling sound could be heard.
A storm trooper appeared on a bridge above them started firing. Winter grabbed the blaster on Luke's belt and started firing back as he looked around for a way across. Two more troopers appeared but Winter shot both before they could fire.
Luke found a nylon cable attached to the storm trooper belt with a grappler hook on it. As winter fired at more troopers who appeared on the walkways above, the door behind them started to open. Luke threw the grappling hook around a set of pipes above them and grabbed Winter by the waist. He gave her a kiss for luck before swinging them across the chasm just as the door opened. The two ducked into the hallway as blaster fire landed behind them.
Obi-Wan Kenobi was moving stealthily along the hallway; he knew Darth Vader was near. He kept looking over his shoulder for the dark lord but didn't see him. He was almost back to the hangar, perhaps he might make it after all he thought. When he had left Luke with the smuggler he had known a confrontation was inevitable. He had sensed Vader's presence long before they had been brought into the hangar bay. Just as the bay came into view Vader stepped out blocking his path.
Obi-Wan looked the Sith in front of him standing almost two meters tall. Long hair pulled back into a ponytail; yellow and red eyes glaring over the mask that covered the bottom portion of his mouth to hide the scars from the last duel. Vader ignited his red lightsaber, the same saber he had a Jedi now with a red crystal, as Obi-wan ignited his blue blade.
"When I left you I was but a learner; now I am the master" Vader said with a mechanical baritone.
"Only a master of evil" obi wan told his former apprentice.
Vader reached out with the force trying to crush his old master. Obi-Wan felt the attempt but repelled it. He lashed out with his lightsaber but was blocked by Vader's red blade. They continued to lock blades with Obi-Wan trying to maneuver around the Sith back to the hangar bay.
"Your powers are weak old man" Vader taunted the Jedi.
"You can't win Vader, if you strike me down I will become more power than you could ever imagine" Obi-Wan replied before their blades locked again.
Han Solo and Chewbacca had led the troopers on chase all through the level they were on and lost them somewhere on the far side of it, or so they thought. They weren't quite sure where the troopers had gone, they just knew they weren't behind them anymore and that was good enough for the smuggler and his companion. They had made their way back to the hangar bay and saw more troops around the ship.
Han turned to Chewie "Didn't we just leave this party?"
Chewbacca growled quietly in agreement as Luke and Winter came up behind them. "What kept you?" Han asked.
"ran into some friends" Winter said peering over Han's shoulder for a look around.
"How's the ship? "Luke asked as he looked around for himself.
"She seems ok, as long as we can get to her. I hope the old man got the tractor beam offline" he said watching the imperials around his ship.
Something distracted the troopers and Luke heard the distinct sound of lightsabers clashing. Looking around he saw Obi-Wan on the far side of the hangar through an open hallway battling someone in black battle armor with a red lightsaber.
"Look!" he said pointing at the duelists.
They watched as the two battled their way up to the door staying in the hallway. Out of the corner of his eye Luke saw the droids heading towards the ship as the seven storm troopers guarding it started moving towards the battle.
"Now's our chance, let's go!" Han said running toward the Falcon with Luke, Winter and Chewie right behind him.
Luke was running toward the ship and watching Obi-Wan at the same time. The storm troopers didn't even notice them; they were so transfixed by the battle. Luke was almost to the ramp when he saw Obi-Wan lift his lightsaber to his face.
The duel between the two had worked its way in front of the hangar bay. Obi-Wan was blocking Darth Vader's attacks easily but Vader still could not get through the old man's defenses. He fed off his anger at the situation, finding strength in it. They were in full view of the hangar as storm troopers ran up to watch their leader in battle.
Vader saw the old man look over his shoulder at something before raising his lightsaber up to his face. Obi-Wan looked back at Vader, and Vader felt the old Jedi calming himself before he closed his eyes. He swung his lightsaber to cut them man down and saw the robes fall. Looking down he just saw a pile of robes and the old lightsaber. He reached out touched it with his foot. There was no body under the robes.
Vader heard someone shouting and turned around to see boy flip over his troopers and start cutting them down with a blue blade. He started to make his way into the hangar when someone shot the controls to the blast doors and they started to close, Vader just wasn't enough to get to the second Jedi. The doors closed trapping him on the other side.
"Nooooooooooo!" Luke yelled before jumping in the air to close the distance between himself and the troopers.
In a matter of seconds, he had cut all seven down and turned to face Vader but found the doors already closed. He looked back to the ship and saw the droids making their up followed by Han and the princess. Chewbacca was already inside starting her up.
"Come on kid, I don't think your going to like the accommodations the empire has" Han said as he disappeared into the freighter.
Looking around, Luke knew the smuggler was right and ran up the ramp after him.