Reckless • Han Solo

2.5 Only Way Out

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Chewie's loud growl echoed in the cockpit as Han checked an exploding flak.  It appeared to Ellia that Han was doing a million things at once and was not taking Chewie's warning of the incoming Star Destroyers.

Ellia cleared her throat looking at Chewie with worried eyes. "I saw them! I saw them!" Han exclaimed not looking up from his work.

"Saw what?" Leia asked entering from the cockpit. 

"Star Destroyer, two of them," Ellia said, "Coming right for us."

"Sir, sir!" 3PO exclaimed, banging his way into the cockpit, "Might I suggest..."

"Shut him up or shut him down!" Han said looking at Leia, and C-3PO was pushed out of the cockpit. Han turned to Chewbacca, "Check the deflector shield!"

Chewbacca did what he was told and barked a reply, not a good one.

Han groaned, "Oh, great. Well, we can still outmaneuver them."

Han increased power to the thrusters, with one Star Destroyer behind them, he sent the Falcon was headed for two other Destroyers. When the smuggler's ship was practically between the two ships, it was then he sent the Falcon into a steep dive. The Star Destroyer behind them, too cumbersome to maneuver, stayed on the collision path it was on.  

The four TIE fighters coming in hot, Ellia braced herself not positive how they would get out of this one. With a shaky breath, Ellia gripped tightly to the side of the chair, "I hate you right now."

Chewbacca and Han controlled the ship on a vertiginous path to avert the laser fire coming from the TIE Fighters. "Prepare the jump to lightspeed!" Han shouted at Chewie.

"But, sir!" 3PO called out, but Han already reached for the hyperdrive controls.

"They're getting closer!" Leia shouted, wishing Han and Ellia would have just left her on Hoth.

"Oh yeah?" Han asked with a gleam in his eye, "Watch this."

Han pulled back on the hyperdrive, causing Ellia to look out to see the streaks of stars and planets but nothing happened. The ship remained still the stars remained rooted against the ebony sky.

"Watch what?"

Han and Chewie looked at each other, both thrown into an acute state of concern. Han tried again, pulling the hyperdrive back, but just like before the ship remained. "I think we're in trouble," Han muttered.

"If I may say so, sir, I noticed earlier that the hyperdrive motivator has been damaged," 3PO said, "It's impossible to go to lightspeed!"

"We're in trouble!" Han settled as the explosions outside became heavier. He rose from his seat putting the autopilot on, Chewbacca followed him following him back into the hold.

"If anything happens, which I'm certain it is," Leia began, "I'm grateful for out friendship but unappreciative in your choice of men."

Ellia nodded, "Agreed."

••••

"Han get up here!" Ellia exclaimed over the comlink. 

In a few moments, both Han and Chewie were up front, looking out of the window to see hundreds of asteroids race by. 

Han exchanged places with Ellia, who was sitting at the controls and Chewbacca took his place beside him.

"Oh no," Han mumbled, "Chewie set two-seven-one.

"What are you doing?" Leia questioned, "You're not actually going into an asteroid field?"

"They'd be crazy to follow us, wouldn't they?" Han pointed out as another asteroid bumped against the ship causing Ellia and Leia to wince. 

"You don't have to so this to impress me," Ellia said, tightening her grip on the back of his seat. 

"Sir the possibility of successfully navigating an asteroid field is approximately three thousand, seven hundred and twenty to one," 3PO briefed to Han.

"Never tell me the odds!"

As the Falcon steered into the field, Ellia noticed that only two ships were following them, but the massive Star Destroyer was now on their tail. But that was the least of her worries, instead of when she looked out of the cockpit window, she was greeted by asteroids racing right toward them, narrowly missing the ship.

Chewbacca barked in terror as a slightly small asteroid came, bouncing off the Falcon with a loud crashing noise. 

Han gave a quick look to Leia, "You said you wanted to be around when I made a mistake; well, this could be it."

"I take it back," Leia gasped, "We're going to get pulverized if we stay out here much longer!"

"I'm not going to argue with that," Han said.

"Pulverized?" 3PO exclaimed.

"I'm going in closer to one of those big ones," Han said.

"Closer?" Ellia exclaimed, which C-3PO echoed.

Chewbacca barked the same word, only louder and in his own language.

Han threw the Falcon in another deep plunge, targeting a moon-sized asteroid. The two lingering TIE fighters fired at the Falcon, any opportunity they got. 

Moments later, the Falcon skimmed the surface. Not sure what Han was looking for, Ellia heard was focused on anything but the asteroids zooming past the ship, even the large explosion coming from behind the ship. She sighed in relief, knowing it was the two reaming TIE fighters. 

"Of, this is suicide!" 3PO exclaimed, visibly rattled.

"There," Han exclaimed rather happily, "That looks pretty good."

"What looks pretty good?" Ellia questioned.

"Yeah. That'll do nicely."

Confused, 3PO turned to Leia, "Excuse me ma'am, but where are we going?"

Out of the cockpit window, the ship was nearing a large crater on the surface of the asteroid. Han circled back and dove down into it going into complete darkness.

"I hope you know what you're doing," Ellia told him.

"Yeah, me too."