Vandor was less of a country in the normal sense than a cold and mountainous region of the northeastern Mid Rim. Nearly all of the territory's population lived in a smattering of independent culturally homogeneous monastic villages in the valleys. The exception to this was Fort Ypso - an Imperial occupied trade stopover for the Gamor Run - which sat on the coastal plains below.

Han stared contentedly through one of the airship's open windows, watching the landscape below abruptly shift from plains to jagged mountains. The cold air whipping past and tugging at his hair was a welcome change to the humid funk of Mimban and drove home the knowledge that he was closer to freedom. For the first in a very long time, Han had awakened that morning looking forward to what the day held.

A muffled thudding from behind caught Han's attention and he turned to see the Wookiee climbing out of the cargo hold. They joined Han at the next window over.

Han nodded to his new friend. "Hey. Thanks for helping me get out of there."

The Wookiee returned the nod and growled.

"No, they only took you because of me," Han rebutted, hurt.

A grumble was the response.

"Hey! I got us a real sweet deal here. We do this one job with them, we make some real money, and then we're free. When's the last time you could say that?"

The Wookiee growled wistfully.

Han nodded. "Been a while for me, too."

A few minutes of contemplative silence passed between them before Han spoke again. "So, what's your name, anyway?

The Wookiee's answer came as a long gutteral roar proclaiming himself as "Chewbacca, son of Attichitcuk."

"Chewbacca?" Han chuckled. "All right, well, you're going to need a nickname, 'cause I'm not saying that every time."

The Wookiee Chewbacca shrugged. Just about anything would be better than "the Beast."

One could be forgiven for thinking Vandor was nothing more than a quaint backwater far removed from the great machinations of the Empire. Sadly, this was not the case. Built onto the faces of the sheer mountains lining Vandor's Corubalni Pass was the Imperial Conveyex railway. This monumental rail line was one of three that connected to the Crispin Imperial Hyperion Facility built into Mount Vastadon where the Empire grew the Hyperion crystals for their Star Destroyers.

It was the Conveyex railway that brought Beckett and his gang to Vandor that day. Once they had landed on the far side of the Corubalni Pass, Beckett wasted no time in beginning his reconnaissance. As he, Val, and Han lay in the snow, he scanned the railway in the distance. Once he saw the impressive trestle bridge spanning the widest gorge on the line, the final pieces of his strategy fell into place.

"Here's the plan." Beckett handed his binoculars to Val. "We hit the train between that watch station and the bridge. Rio drops us in, we separate the cargo container, hook up the airship's winch cables, and then..."

"Rio jams any distress signals," Val said, "I blow the bridge, the train falls, the container pulls free, and we fly away."

Beckett nodded, and accepted the binoculars back to pass them to Han. "Any of you trip that security beam, wake those vipers, it's liable to get real spicy real fast."

"Well, I'm not the one you should be worried about," Val said bitterly.

"You're not talking about Enfys Nest, are you?"

Han lowered the binoculars. "What's an Enfys Nest?"

"I told you, Val, we're way ahead of the competition on this one. There's no way Enfys Nest even knows about this shipment. Only my guy has the intel for Crispin's rails."

Val shrugged. "Well, you'd better be right, yeah? Because sometimes you put your faith in the wrong people." The last two words she directed unsubtly towards Han. She stood and brushed away the snow that had stuck to her front before starting back towards the airship.

Beckett followed. "Val."

"We'll talk about this later, Tobias."

Beckett sighed and shook his head.

That evening as the stars began to appear in the sky, Beckett and his gang made camp just out of view of the railway and its watch stations. The five of them mostly just sat and ate their dinners in silence while staring at the campfire.

Once Beckett had finished his meal, he set to cleaning his broomhandled pistols. After finishing with the first, he lit a handroll. "Val..."

Val kept her eyes on her plate as she poked at the now cold piece of meat left over from her meal. "...Our whole future depends on this one score and you bring in an amateur?"

"In case you hadn't noticed, we got a little short-handed when Korso bit it."

"So we get what we need: professionals. The Xan sisters... Or Bossk... But no, instead, you're putting our lives in the hands of halfwits."

Beckett glanced over to Han and Chewbacca. "You guys halfwits?"

"No!" Han immediately replied.

Beckett took another drag and nodded. "No. See?"

"We're not halfwits. Look, I waited a long time for a shot like this. I'm not about to screw it up, all right?"

"Oh come on, Val," Rio said around a mouth full of bread. "He looks so sincere. Plus, have you ever tried to disinvite a Wookiee to anything?" He swallowed. "Not a good idea!"

Both Rio and Chewbacca laughed, much to Val's annoyance. "This is not funny!"

"Look," said Beckett, starting work on his second pistol. "I have great instincts about these guys. And besides, do you see any other options?"

"I just hope you know what you're doing."

"I know exactly what I'm doin' and why. We're goin' to clear our debts, go back to Glee Anselm, and I'm finally gonna learn how to play that valachord."

Val cracked a smile and softly chuckled. "Babe, you're never going to learn how to play that valachord."

"She's right," said Rio. "You are tone-deaf." The Ardennian laughed.

Han joined in, but immediately shut up when Beckett looked his way. Beckett pulled the handroll stub from his mouth and flicked it away. "So what's your sob story, hotshot?"

"Me?" Han asked.

"Mmm," Rio confirmed. "You're after something. I know the look. What is it? Revenge?"

"Nah, it's not revenge," Val said, accepting the hip flask Beckett offered her. "Look at him. If it's anything, it's a girl."

Rio let out an excited gasp. "Ooh! A girl! Tell us about the girl, Han! Is she nice?" He leaned forward and grinned. "Does she have sharp teeth?"

Rio's odd question gave Han pause before he answered. "...There was a girl. But, uh... I got out, she didn't. I swore to myself I'd become a sailor, get a ship, go back, and find her. That's what I'm going to do right after this job."

Val gently nodded, as did Beckett. Rio gestured for the flask. "How do you know she'll still be there?"

"...I just know..."

Rio hissed at the bite of the drink and passed the flask back. "Personally, I refuse to be tied down by anyone, though many have tried."

Val scoffed. "Come on, Rio. You don't fool me. Everybody needs somebody." She lovingly touseled Beckett's short greying hair. "Even a broken down old crook like this one."

Beckett smiled at Val and leaned in for a kiss. The sight warmed Han's heart. For him, it just went to show that even in a world as messed up as it was, there was still room for love.

After a moment, Han looked up at Chewbacca. "How about you? What are you going to do with your share?

Chewbacca growled softly for several seconds.

Rio cocked an eyebrow. "What was he saying?"

"He's saying the Wookiees were enslaved by the Empire and taken out of Kashyyyk. He's searching for his, uh, I don't know if he said tribe or family."

Beckett finished reassembling his freshly cleaned pistol. "What's the difference?" He twirled the gun around his finger a few times before returning it to his holster.

Han's eyes widened. "Show me how to do that."

"The only thing you need to learn to do is do what I say when I say it. And this time tomorrow, you'll have more than enough to buy your own ship." Beckett thought for a moment then drew one of the pistols. He looked it over before giving it a kiss and tossing it to Han.

Han turned the heavy pistol over in his hand. A shiver ran up his spine as the reflected campfire danced across its blue-black surface. For some reason, having this gun felt right to him.

In the predawn twilight, burning embers and billows of dark smoke spewed from the Imperial armored steam locomotive thundering down the Conveyex railway. The rapid rhythmic chugging of its cycling pistons and the clanking of its many axles echoed off the surrounding icy peaks, interspersed by the occasional blare of the train's horns when it neared the switching stations. Unheard over the train engine was the chopping whirr of rotors as an airship came over the ridgeline.

"Starting the clock," Rio said, lining the bow up. "Jamming their signal... Okay, ten minutes to the bridge. Let's find out how good we really are, folks." He tapped a rune to open the bottom of the cargo hold.

Han, Chewbacca, and Beckett felt the cold mountain air whip around them as they watched the train's rearmost car come into view below. Beckett was the first to leap down, landing in a crouch atop the armored train car's cupola. Chewbacca followed shortly after.

Han meanwhile hesitated at the distance of the drop. He rapidly sucked in and blew out air to mentally prepare himself for finally jumping down with a yell. His yell was cut short by his face first landing. He hurriedly picked himself up. "I'm fine!"

Chewbacca growled and beckoned Han to keep up.

The icy wind rushing past stung at every bit of exposed skin as the trio moved up the train, leaping from car to car. Around the halfway point, Beckett tapped his comm crystal with a gloved finger. "Val, how's it goin' up there?"

At the rim of the gorge, Val aimed her grappling gun at a trestle board by the maintenance gantry running along the underside of the bridge. She pulled the trigger and watched the hook fly forth, ultimately embedding itself into the wood. "Never better," she said proudly a moment before winching herself upwards.

Once he reached the top hatch of the ninth car, Beckett held up a hand to signal that they had reached their objective. While Han and Chewbacca joined him around the hatch, Beckett turned the unlocking wheel and opened it. Inside, hundreds of Coaxium vials sat in cushioned cradle cases, each giving off the faintest blue-green glow.

"Coaxium," said Beckett with a grin.

"Enough to grow a fleet's worth of crystals!" Han exclaimed with awe.

Beckett laughed. "Or blow us all straight to Hell!"

Chewbacca vocalized his nervousness.

Beckett closed the hatch and stood. He waved his arm towards the airship following the train.

"All right, talk to me," Rio said. "Is it a good day?"

"It's a great day," Beckett replied, hardly able to contain his excitement. "Best day of your life, my grabby friend!"

Rio laughed. "I don't know, you've never been to a mynock roast in Ardennia. It's nuts!"

Han grimaced at the memory of the taste of mynock. The thought didn't linger for long before being interrupted by the sound of gunfire from the rear of the train. As he crouched, he reflexively snapped his gaze towards the source of the shots and saw a squad of cold weather stormtroopers.

Beckett swore as he and his cohorts flattened themselves against the top of the car. "Here they come! You two! Get down to the couplin'!" He smacked his comm crystal. "Rio, fall back!"

Rio peeled away from the train. "Well, that didn't take them long."

Beckett rolled to the side to avoid incoming fire, purposely going over the edge. He held onto the lip around the top of the car with one hand while his feet found purchase on the running boards railing. His other hand drew his heavy revolver and cracked off two quick shots, hitting as many troopers.

Han and Chewbacca meanwhile made use of the running boards to head for the end of the train car. As they sidled around the corners, the coaxium car went over a drop gap between rail ends. The car lurched violently enough for Chewbacca to lose his grip.

The Wookiee roared as he began to reel backwards towards the straight drop into the canyon.

Han too had stumbled at the sudden shift, bringing him closer to the imperilled Wookiee. Han instinctively extended his hand despite not having a firm footing himself. "Chewie!"

Almost too late, Chewbacca and the Corellian grabbed one another's wrists. The sudden added weight of the Wookiee overbalanced Han and it was only Han wrapping his arm around a handrail that kept both of them from plummeting to their doom. Chewbacca held on for dear life as his feet dangled over certain death.

The stormtroopers with their magnetic over boots hadn't so much as stumbled when their train cars rolled over the gap. They continued their gun battle with Beckett unabated while advancing up the train.

Han and Chewbacca both could feel their grips slipping. Beyond that though, Chewbacca could see a rocky outcrop ahead. Even if he didn't fall, hitting that at the speed they were going would kill him. He wailed as he felt himself slip a little bit more.

Han cried out with effort as his muscles strained. He wasn't sure whether it was going to be his grip or his shoulder sockets that gave out first, but he knew that if he couldn't pull Chewbacca up he was going to find out soon enough. Han clenched his jaw and summoned every bit of strength he had.

A moment before impact, Chewbacca felt himself pulled upwards. He and Han overbalanced the other way and Chewbacca landed atop his savior. The Wookiee whimpered, hardly able to believe he was still alive.

"You... all right...?" Han asked between panting breaths. "Little... close there... eh, buddy...?"

Beckett by now had climbed back to the top of the train car and had taken cover behind the reopened hatch. After loading a fresh cylinder into his pistol he tapped his comm crystal. "Han! What's the holdup?!"

Once Han and Chewbacca had unhooked the safety chains, they moved into position over the train car's rear claw coupling. Han took hold of one side of the claw and waited for Chewbacca to take the other.

"All right, together." Han counted out three beats by nodding his head. "Now!"

With a great effort, the two of them pulled the claw free. Almost immediately, the decoupled cars began to fall behind with the gap between them widening exponentially with each passing second.

Han laughed triumphantly and pumped his fist. "All right!"

His and Chewbacca's jubilation was cut short by the troopers atop the lagging cars firing at them. The pair tried to shield themselves as much as possible in the end door's frame while lead bullets flattened against the armor around them. With the speed the train was moving at, it didn't take long before they had moved out of effective range.

Beckett stood and kicked the hatch closed again. "They've got one uncoupled. Where are you buddy?"

"Oh, just up here planning my retirement," Rio answered moving the airship back into position over the train. "Thinking about opening a cantina somewhere warm. But not too warm, you know? Lowering winch cables now!"

Val armed the charge she had just placed on a trestle joint and was about to climb back down to the maintenance gantry when she heard a familiar droning. She gasped. About a dozen riders on caelli-merced locusts were flying up the valley towards the oncoming train.

Caelli-merced locusts were giant green, brown, and black insects originally from the rolling arid plains of the Gold Coast. Hardy and easy to train after gaining the broodmother's trust, the locusts have shown their value from mounts, to food, to both construction material and armor sourced from their chitin. Perhaps their greatest challenge to wider proliferation was their specialized diet of Bheriz acacia which considerably limited their habitable range.

Val swore. "I knew it! I told him!" She slapped her comm crystal. "Beckett! Beckett, he's coming!"

"Damn it!" Beckett yelled as he finished securing the cargo hook to one of the lift points. "I'm never going to hear the end of this!"

Chitin armor clad riders buzzed towards the train, whooping and ululating all the while. They flew past and began to swing around.

"Who's that?" Han asked.

"Enfys Nest!" Beckett spat.

"Cloud Riders," Rio explained via comm crystal. "Marauders. Pirates come to snake the score from under us."

"Ready your harpoons," Enfys Nest ordered as he and his Cloud Riders fully came around, his voice distorted by his helmet's enchantment. "Move in!"

Han and Beckett opened fire on the raiders while Chewbacca roared a battle cry. Though several shots came close to hitting, none made impact. Undaunted, the Cloud Riders barrelled towards and over the trio at impressive speeds. Unnoticed by his foes, one of the riders went for the airship and landed on the inside wall of the open cargo hold.

Having moved to the running boards to present less of a target, Han kept up as much fire as he could against the locusts and riders. Suddenly, a harpoon anchored itself deeply into the armor beside him. Before he could even think about it, Han found himself climbing back to the top of the train car.

Beckett lined up his sights on one of the passing riders and pulled his trigger. The heavy lead ball flew true and struck the locust in the side of its head. A spray of clear blood that twinkled in the sun like diamonds erupted from the other side and both rider and mount dropped from the air.

Rio heard a commotion at the door to the bridge behind him. "Hang on. I've got an uninvited guest." He drew his pistol and cracked off a few quick shots as he spun around. "Get off my ship!"

Though none of Rio's shots found their mark, the one fired by the Cloud Rider did. The Ardennian cried out at the searing pain in his shoulder.

Beckett stared up at the airship as smoke and muzzle flashes filled the cockpit. He tapped his comm crystal. "You still with us, brother?"

"Guh," Rio groaned. "Yeah. I'm okay. Just nicked one of my shoulders. It's nothing."

"He's not okay."

As though specifically to add evidence to Beckett's claim, the airship dove sharply. Beckett, Han, and Chewbacca vaulted down to the running boards a second before the bottom of the airship scraped along the top of the train car.

Han panted heavily as a panic set in. With Rio apparently incapacitated and the airship out of control, the entire operation was in jeopardy. How in the world would they be able to salvage this?

"Get another pilot," Han mumbled in sudden realization, answering his own question. He turned to Chewbacca and tapped him on the arm to catch his attention. "Chewie, you're going to have to get the other coupler on your own!"

Chewbacca roared uncertainly but moved up the running boards towards the front of the car all the same.

Han clambered to the top of the train car and immediately rolled to the middle of the roof to avoid being struck by the open cargo hold door. Showers of sparks coated him and singed some hairs, but Han's focus did not allow him to notice. Nor did Han register the remains of the dislodged and subsequently mutilated locust that his roll had left him covered in.

Beckett yelled out Han's name with a mix of disbelief and deep worry.

"Don't worry! I'm on it!" Han carefully watched the movement of the airship around him. He waited until the opportune moment presented itself and leapt for the access ladder.

Beckett laughed, impressed, as Han shinnied up and out of sight. His positivity was short lived however. He noticed the monitoring spike too late to do anything about it. The white sphere at the top turned red. "Val... Keep your eyes open. We just tripped a sensor..."

Val only got to hear half of Beckett's warning before a deep alarm reverberated through the valley. Her eyes shot to the concrete watch station on the far side of the gorge. A half-dozen metal jellyfish flew from a newly opened door near the top. Each was almost identical to the Imperial probe automata save for the three-barrelled rotary gun built into its bell.

Val scowled and unslung her carbine. "Viper automata heading your way."

Han heard Rio's coughing and labored breathing before he even climbed into the cockpit. "...Rio?"

"...Yeah," the Ardennian half grunted.

Han approached Rio and winced at what he saw. A large chunk of muscle had been torn away from his shoulder and the wound oozed blood incessantly. Of more pressing concern though was his sucking chest wound.

Rio smiled, revealing teeth stained red. "...It looks worse than it actually is... Just got to patch it up... Need to rest my eyes for a minute first..."

The airship dipped sharply as the unconscious Ardennian's hands fell away from the controls. Once more, the vessel struck the top of the train car. Han stumbled forward, putting him in prime position to take over the controls.

Han's fingers wrapped around the wheel and the rotor knob. With the exception of the elevation and landing controls, it wasn't that much different than piloting an Imperial gunboat.

By now, the vipers had reached the other side of the bridge. Atop the trestle bridge deck, Val lined up her carbine. She'd get one, maybe two shots if she was lucky before the vipers honed in on her. It'd have to do. They couldn't be allowed to reach Beckett and the others.

Val pulled the trigger and hit one of the flying automata. It and its fellows immediately turned to address the threat. A second shot downed the damaged viper, but the cloud of gunsmoke gave away Val's position. The remaining vipers closed in.

Though tethered harpoons studded the rail car, the Cloud Riders had been wholly unable to take Beckett down. Dodging more fire, Beckett took hold of the last winch hook that dangled from the now stabilized airship. He slid across the roof over to the hookup, cracking off a shot.

At the sight of another of their number falling, Enfys Nest roared. "Enough of this! I'm going in!" He winged over and headed straight for Beckett.

Enfys leapt from his caelli-merced while clutching his double-ended voulge. He rolled on landing, coming up in a low stance while beginning a ginga step.

Beckett turned at the sound of Enfys' landing, instantly recognizing the unique sound of the armor. As he turned, he cocked his pistol and fired. The shot went wide, largely owing to the flowing ginga step movements.

As Beckett began to reset for a follow-up shot, Enfys made his move. He charged towards his foe and slid just before Beckett fired again. As Enfys spun to his feet he swung his voulge upwards, knocking Beckett's pistol from his hand.

Taking advantage of Beckett immediately trying to dive for the gun as it slid away, Enfys Nest delivered a spinning kick to his jaw. Before Enfys could deliver a killing stroke, however, Beckett rolled away and narrowly dodged a follow-up swing.

Beckett tried to move behind his chitin clad opponent only for Enfys Nest to drop backwards. The now pinned Beckett strained as Enfys wound up his voulge. A slight shift as the Cloud Rider swung gave Beckett just enough wiggle room to pull free. Not missing a beat, Enfys Nest spun and planted a two footed donkey kick to Beckett's chest.

Beckett flew backwards with enough force for him to land on the next train car. He let out a groan while the accumulated blood from his cheek wound trickled from the corner of his mouth.

Enfys eyed Beckett for a moment to see if he would make any attempt to get up. Once the Cloud Rider was satisfied that no attempt was being made, he turned his attention and his voulge to one of the cargo cables.

Rio sputtered as consciousness momentarily returned again. He could immediately tell that not only had Han regained control of the airship, he was also keeping it steady in the turbulence generated by the train. "...You weren't lying, kid... You're a Hell of a helmsman..."

Han looked over to the Ardennian. "Rio, stay with me, buddy."

Rio's eyes focused and unfocused as he tried his damnedest to fight the inevitable.

Val had managed to down a second viper and damage a third, but her ammunition was running out. To make matters worse, the vipers' shots had dealt crippling damage to both the gantry and the ladder to the bridge deck.

With a heavy swing of his voulge, Enfys snapped the first of the cargo cables. The sudden release of tension made the airship above lurch violently.

Han immediately knew what had happened. As soon as he had regained control of the airship, he tapped his comm crystal against his cheek. "Beckett! We just lost a cable!"

Beckett pushed himself to his hands and knees and spat out a bloody lead tooth crown that Enfys' kick had dislodged. Enfys Nest himself, as Beckett found when he looked up, was hacking away at a second cable.

"Two minutes to the bridge!" Han called out.

Beckett stood and unsheathed a long knife. Enfys cut the second cable and turned to face Beckett, voulge at the ready.

Rio took a rattling breath and coughed. "...It's no good to die alone, kid..." He wheezed weakly. "...Val was right..." After a few more labored breaths, a quiet gurgle escaped his throat.

Han looked over with eyebrows furrowed. "...Rio?"

The silent Ardennian slowly slumped to the side. Han set his jaw and turned his eyes forward again.

Val took careful aim and dropped a third viper. She ducked back into cover behind the trestle boards and loaded in a new cylinder. These nine rounds were all she had left.

As Val leaned out again, a viper's shot pierced her forearm. She cried out and recoiled with her opposite hand flying to the injury. Try as she did to move her fingers, all she could do was make them twitch.

In the distance, the chugging of the train engine grew louder. Val swore. Time was running out. She leaned back out with her carbine braced in the crook of her arm and took aim.

With half the distance between Beckett and Enfys Nest closed, the train rolled over another drop gap between rail ends. The two combatants were both caught mid stride and ended up tumbling over the side of the car. Were it not for the running boards' railing, both would have fallen into the valley.

Enfys and Beckett both dangled from the railing with each jostle threatening to dislodge their grip. They strained as hard as they could, trying desperately to pull themselves up.

Val huddled behind the trestle as bullets from the three damaged but functional vipers showered her in splinters. Blood drenched her sleeve despite her best efforts to stem the flow. Her good arm cradled her carbine. One shot was all she had left.

Beckett dragged himself up to the running boards with great effort. He looked around and though he did not see Enfys, he did see his pistol on the boards nearby. As he crawled to retrieve the gun, he glanced every which way, expecting at any moment for the Cloud Rider and his voulge to descend on him.

Through the smoke billowing from the train engine, Han could just see the bridge ahead. "Beckett, we are forty-five seconds from the bridge and Val's still out there!"

Beckett gasped and whipped his head towards the front of the train. "Val! You gotta get off that bridge! We're here!"

Val tried to move only for a pair of bullets to whiz by her. "They've got me pinned! I'm going to have to finish the job from right here."

Beckett's blood froze. "What?"

Val choked up. "It's been a ride, babe... And I wouldn't trade it for anything."

"Val! No!"

Val pulled out the detonator for the placed charges. Before she could give it a second thought, she mashed her thumb against the ignition rune.

"No!"

Powerful explosions tore through the trestle bridge, sending smoke, fire, metal, and enormous chunks of wood flying through the air. The span groaned and cracked as the compromised structure threatened to buckle.

The shockwave from the blasts rattled the cargo airship, but Han did not notice. He instead stared unblinking at the spot where both Val and the bridge had been a moment before.

Enfys Nest appeared from around the end of the train car and moved up the running boards. He eyed the motionless Beckett for the briefest of moments before he jumped to his waiting caelli-merced locust.

Han watched the gap between the front of the train and the end of the track narrow with increasing horror. "Chewie! Do it now!"

Chewbacca roared as he pulled at the coupling's claw with all his strength. It came free with a shriek of metal just as the engine's front wheels went over the edge.

The train began to fall the instant it left the tracks. With the monumental weight and speed of the engine and cars, the compromised trestle stood no chance of stopping or even slowing the crash. The deafening clamor of snapping timber and rending metal echoed through the valley as the mass of the train continued the demolition of the bridge started by the bombs. As though adding punctuation to the disaster, the train's boiler exploded on impacting the floor of the gorge.

High above the chaos, Han set the airship's ascension rotors to full and converted the gas bladders' reserve carbonite to tibanna. For the few harrowing seconds it took for the forces to balance out, the laden airship dropped considerably. Two cables were all that tethered load and carrier together and all materials involved, though holding strong, creaked and squealed in protest.

The Cloud Riders and their locusts remained tied to the car by their harpoons. Though zealous in their desire to take the coaxium car, it was apparent that the number they had could not carry the cargo alone. As it stood, their contribution merely kept the car roughly level, sparing Beckett and Chewbacca from immediately joining the rest of the train below.

Han tried to wrest the swinging load away from the marauders over the course of a few minutes with no effect to other than making Chewbacca wail. "Beckett, I can't pull it away from them!"

Atop the train car, Beckett stared at the mountains ahead of them."They'll let go! You just fly straight!"

The Cloud Riders tugged and pulled and fought with all the strength their locusts could muster. As they drew closer to the imposing facade of Luftgriff Peak, it became clear to Enfys Nest that the chance of either side leaving with the prize was growing increasingly narrow. He turned to Beckett. "Release your cables or die!"

Han's breathing sped up as more and more of the rock face of Luftgriff Peak filled his vision. "We're too close. I've got to release."

Beckett exploded at the idea. "You do what I tell you, Han!"

"Chewie, grab Beckett and the line!"

"Don't you do it!"

Chewbacca did as Han ordered. Beckett swore and pounded his fists against the Wookiee as he fought to free himself. Once Chewbacca had growled his readiness, Han tapped the load release rune. The cable hooks snapped open with a sharp clack. At once, the coaxium car swung away wildly and the Cloud Riders struggled to maintain control of either it or their mounts.

"Han!" Beckett screamed. "You gods-damned coward!"

Han gunned the airship's engines and peeled away, leaving the Cloud Riders to struggle with their unwieldy prize. Only a scant few seconds passed before Enfys ordered the car released to avert a total catastrophe. They flew away as fast as the wind while the train car tumbled in free fall towards Luftgriff Peak.

On impact, a bright blue light engulfed the mountain and flash froze the very air around it. It lasted for only a second before winking out again, taking the entirety of Luftgriff Peak with it and leaving only swirling tendrils of ethereal vapor. A squealing boom loud enough to rival the god of thunder's mightiest blows pealed through the mountain range on the tails of the shockwave, flattening trees and setting off countless avalanches in its wake.

Once Han wrestled control Back from the wind and turbulence he solemnly pushed the lever to retract the winch cables. All the while, four different damage alarms vied for his attention. For the moment, he ignored them and turned the airship back towards the plains.