Chewbacca waited restlessly at the entrance to Docking Bay 94. Ben, Luke, and the robots made their way up the street. Chewbacca jabbered excitedly and signalled for them to hurry. A darkly clad creature had followed them from the speeder lot. He stopped in a nearby doorway and spoke into a small transmitter.
Chewbacca leaded the group into a giant dirt pit that was Docking Bay 94. Resting in the middle of the huge hole was a large, round, beat-up, pieced-together hunk of junk that could only loosely be called a Star ship.
"What a piece of junk." Luke said.
The tall figure of Han Solo came down the boarding ramp.
"She'll make point five beyond the speed of light. She may not look like much, but she's got it where it counts, kid. I've added some special modifications myself."
Luke scratched his head. It was obvious he wasn't sure about all this. Chewbacca rushed up the ramp and urged the others to follow.
"We're a little rushed, so if you'll hurry aboard we'll get out of here."
The group rushed up the gang plank, passing a grinning Han Solo. Chewbacca settled into the pilot's chair and started the mighty engines of the Star ship.
Luke, Ben, 3PO, and R2 moved toward the Millennium Falcon passing Solo.
"Hello, sir." 3PO said.
The troops held their guns at the ready and charged down the docking bay entrance.
"Stop that ship!"
Han Solo looked up and saw the Imperial Stormtroopers rushing into the docking bay. Several of the troopers fired at Han as he ducked into the spaceship.
"Blast 'em!"
Han drew his laser pistol and popped off a couple of shots which force the Stormtroopers to dive for safety. The pirate ship engines whined as Han hit the release button that slammed the overhead entry shut.
"Chewie, get us out of here!"
The group strapped in for took off.
"Oh, my. I'd forgotten how much I hate space travel."
The half-dozen Stormtroopers at a check point heard the general alarm and looked to the sky as the huge Star ship rose above the dingy slum dwellings and quickly disappeared into the morning sky.
Han climbed into the pilot's chair next to Chewbacca, who chattered away as he pointed to something on the radar scope.
The Corellian pirate ship zoomed from Tatooine into space.
Han frantically typed information into the ship's computer. Little R2 appeared momentarily at the cockpit doorway, made a few beeping remarks, then scurried away.
"It looks like an Imperial cruiser. Our passengers must be hotter than I thought. Try and hold them off. Angle the deflector shield while I make the calculations for the jump to light speed."
The Millennium Falcon pirate ship raced away from the yellow planet, Tatooine.
It was followed by two huge Imperial Star Destroyers.
Over the shoulders of Chewbacca and Han, the galaxy spread before them. Luke and Ben made their way into the cramped cockpit where Han continued his calculation.
"Stay sharp! There are two more coming in; they're going to try to cut us off." Han said.
"Why don't you outrun them? I thought you said this thing was fast." Luke stated.
"Watch your mouth, kid, or you're going to find yourself floating home. We'll be safe enough once we make the jump to hyperspace. Besides, I know a few maneuvers. We'll lose them!"
Imperial cruisers fired at the pirate ship.
The ship shuddered as an explosion flashed outside the window.
"Here's where the fun begins!" Han exclaimed.
"How long before you can make the jump to light speed?" Ben asked.
"It'll take a few moments to get the coordinates from the navi-computer."
The ship began to rock violently as lasers hit it.
"Are you kidding? At the rate they're gaining..." Luke affirmed.
"Traveling through hyperspace isn't like dusting crops, boy! Without precise calculations we could fly right through a star or bounce too close to a supernova and that'd end your trip real quick, wouldn't it?" Han replied.
The ship was now constantly battered with laserfire as a red warning light began to flash.
"What's that flashing?" asked Luke.
"We're losing our deflector shield. Go strap yourself in, I'm going to make the jump to light speed."
The galaxy brightened and they moved faster, almost as if crashing a barrier.
Stars became streaks as the pirate ship made the jump to hyperspace.
The Millennium Falcon zoomed into infinity in less than a second.
☾☼
Alderaan loomed behind the Death Star battle station.
Admiral Motti entered the quiet control room and bowed before Governor Tarkin, who stood before the huge wall screen displaying a small green planet.
"We've entered the Alderaan system." Motti said.
Vader and two Stormtroopers entered with Princess Leia and Mary. Their hands were bound.
"Governor Tarkin, I should have expected to find you holding Vader's leash. I recognized your foul stench when I was brought on board." Leia affirmed.
Mary gave her niece a proud smile, she reminded her so much of her brother.
"Charming to the last. You don't know how hard I found it signing the order to terminate your life!" Tarkin replied.
"I surprised you had the courage to take the responsibility yourself!" Leia replied.
"Princess Leia and you, Jedi, before your execution I would like you to be my guest at a ceremony that will make this battle station operational. No star system will dare oppose the Emperor now."
"You didn't tell him, brother?! I can't die. Tarkin, but you should know, we've known each other for twenty years. I'm disappointed." Mary replied, sarcastically.
Vader remained unmoved and Tarkin replied, "Don't worry, dear Mary, we have something else in store for you."
"The more you tighten your grip, Tarkin, the more star systems will slip through your fingers."
"Not after we demonstrate the power of this station. In a way, you have determined the choice of the planet that'll be destroyed first. Since you are reluctant to provide us with the location of the Rebel base, I have chosen to test this station's destructive power... on your home planet of Alderaan."
"No! Alderaan is peaceful. We have no weapons. You can't possibly..."
"You would prefer another target? A military target? Then name the system!"
Tarkin waved menacingly toward Leia. Mary interposed between Leia and Tarkin and looked at him threatening but was grabbed by the shoulders by Vader who pulled her back in place.
"Damn you, brother!" she whispered and Vader breathed, bored of his sister's attitude.
"I grow tired of asking this. So it'll be the last time. Where is the Rebel base?"
Mary kept looking at him menacingly as they overheard an intercom voice announcing the approach to Alderaan.
"Dantooine. They're on Dantooine." Leia said as she lowered her head.
"There. You see Lord Vader, she can be reasonable. Continue with the operation. You may fire when ready." Tarkin affirmed.
"What?"
"You're far too trusting. Dantooine is too remote to make an effective demonstration. But don't worry. We will deal with your Rebel friends soon enough."
"No!" Leia and Mary yelled.
"Commence primary ignition." Vader said.
A button was pressed which switched on a panel of lights. A hooded Imperial soldier reached overhead and pulled a lever. Another lever was pulled.
Vader reached for still another lever and a bank of lights on a panel and wall lighted up.
A huge beam of light emanated from within a cone-shaped area and converged into a single laser beam out toward Alderaan.
The small green planet of Alderaan was blown into space dust.
Ben watched Luke practice the lightsaber with a small "seeker" robot. Ben suddenly turned away and sat down. He faltered, seemed almost faint.
"Are you all right? What's wrong?" asked Luke.
"I felt a great disturbance in the Force... as if millions of voices suddenly cried out in terror and were suddenly silenced. I fear something terrible has happened." Ben replied.
Ben rubbed his forehead. He seemed to drift into a trance. Then he fixed his gaze on Luke.
"You'd better get on with your exercises."
☾☼
Han Solo entered the room.
"Well, you can forget your troubles with those Imperial slugs. I told you I'd outrun 'em."
Luke was once again practicing with the lightsaber.
"Don't everyone thank me at once."
3PO watched Chewbacca and R2 who were engrossed in a game in which three along a chess-type board.
"Anyway, we should be at Alderaan about oh-two-hundred hours."
Chewbacca and the two robots sat around the lighted table covered with small holographic monsters. Each side of the table had a small computer monitor embedded in it. Chewbacca seemed very pleased with himself as he rested his lanky fur- covered arms over his head.
"Now be careful, R2."
R2 immediately reached up and tapped the computer with his stubby claw hand, causing one of the holographic creatures to walk to the new square. A sudden frown crosses Chewbacca's face and he began yelling gibberish at the tiny robot. 3PO interceded on behalf of his small companion and began to argue with the huge Wookiee.
"He made a fair move. Screaming about it won't help you." 3PO said.
"Let him have it. It's not wise to upset a Wookiee." Han said.
"But sir, nobody worries about upsetting a droid."
"That's 'cause droids don't pull people's arms out of their socket when they lose. Wookiees are known to do that."
"I see your point, sir. I suggest a new strategy, R2. Let the Wookiee win." 3PO concluded.
Luke stood in the middle of the small hold area; he seemed frozen in place. A humming lightsaber was held high over his head. Ben watched him from the corner, studying his movements. Han watched with a bit of smugness.
"Remember, a Jedi can feel the Force flowing through him." Ben affirmed.
"You mean it controls your actions?" Luke asked.
"Partially. But it also obeys your commands."
Suspended at eye level, about ten feet in front of Luke, a "seeker", a chrome baseball-like robot covered with antennae, hovered slowly in a wide arc. The ball floated to one side of the youth then the other.
Suddenly it made a lightning-swift lunge and stopped within a few feet of Luke's face. Luke didn't move and the ball backed off. It slowly moved behind the boy, then made another quick lunge, this time emitting a blood red laser beam as it attacked.
It hit Luke in the leg causing him to tumble over. Han let loose with a burst of laughter.
"Hokey religions and ancient weapons are no match for a good blaster at your side, kid." Han stated.
"You don't believe in the Force, do you?" asked Luke.
"Kid, I've flown from one side of this galaxy to the other. I've seen a lot of strange stuff, but I've never seen anything to make me believe there's one all-powerful force controlling everything. There's no mystical energy field that controls my destiny."
Ben smiled quietly.
"It's all a lot of simple tricks and nonsense."
"I suggest you try it again, Luke." Ben stated.
Ben placed a large helmet on Luke's head which covered his eyes.
"This time, let go your conscious self and act on instinct."
"With the blast shield down, I can't even see. How am I supposed to fight?" asked Luke.
"Your eyes can deceive you. Don't trust them."
Han skeptically shook his head as Ben threw the seeker into the air. The ball shot straight up in the air, then dropped like a rock. Luke swinged the lightsaber around blindly missing the seeker, which fired off a laserbolt which hit Luke square on the seat of the pants. He let out a painful yell and attempted to hit the seeker.
"Stretch out with your feelings." Ben said.
Luke stood in one place, seemingly frozen. The seeker made a dive at Luke and, incredibly, he managed to deflect the bolt. The ball ceased fire and moved back to its original position.
"You see, you can do it." Ben stated.
"I call it luck." Han said.
"In my experience, there's no such thing as luck."
"Look, going good against remotes is one thing. Going good against the living? That's something else."
☾☼
Solo noticed a small light flashing on the far side of the control panel.
"Looks like we're coming up on Alderaan." Han affirmed.
Han and Chewbacca headed back to the cockpit.
"You know, I did feel something. I could almost see the remote." Luke affirmed.
"That's good. You have taken your first step into a larger world." Ben concluded.
The pirate ship was just coming out of hyperspace; a strange surreal light show surrounded the ship.
"Stand by, Chewie, here we go. Cut in the sublight engines." Han said.
Han pulled back on a control lever. Outside the cockpit window stars began streaking past, seemed to decrease in speed, then stopped.
Suddenly the Star ship began to shudder and violently shook about. Asteroids began to race toward them, battering the sides of the ship.
"What the...? Aw, we've come out of hyperspace into a meteor shower. Some kind of asteroid collision. It's not on any of the charts." Han exclaimed.
The Wookiee flipped off several controls and seemed very cool in the emergency. Luke made his way into the bouncing cockpit.
"What's going on?"
"Our position is correct, except... no, Alderaan!" Solo exclaimed.
"What do you mean? Where is it?" asked Skywalker.
"That's what I'm trying to tell you, kid. It ain't there. It's been totally blown away."
"What? How?"
Ben moved into the cockpit behind Luke as the ship began to settle down.
"Destroyed... by the Empire!" Ben affirmed.
"The entire starfleet couldn't destroy the whole planet. It'd take a thousand ships with more fire power than I've..."
A signal started flashing on the control panel and a muffled alarm started humming.
"There's another ship coming in."
"Maybe they know what happened." Luke stated.
"It's an Imperial fighter." Ben affirmed.
Chewbacca barked his concern. A huge explosion burst outside the cockpit window, shaking the ship violently. A tiny, finned Imperial Tie fighter raced past the cockpit window.
"It followed us!" exclaimed Luke.
"No. It's a short-range fighter." Kenobi affirmed.
"There aren't any bases around here. Where did it come from?"
The fighter raced past the Corellian pirate ship.
"It sure is leaving in a big hurry. If they identify us, we're in big trouble." Luke affirmed.
"Not if I can help it. Chewie... jam its transmissions."
"It'd be as well to let it go. It's too far out of range." Kenobi stated.
"Not for long..."
The pirate ship zoomed away into the vastness of space after the Imperial Tie fighter.
The tension mounted as the pirate ship gained on the tiny fighter.
In the distance, one of the stars became brighter until it was obvious that the Tie ship was heading for it. Ben stood behind Chewbacca.
"A fighter that size couldn't get this deep into space on its own." Ben affirmed.
"It must have gotten lost, been part of a convoy or something." Luke stated.
"Well, he ain't going to be around long enough to tell anyone about us."
The Tie fighter was losing ground to the larger pirate ship as they raced and disappeared over head.
The distant star could be distinguished as a small moon or planet.
"Look at him. He's headed for that small moon." Luke said.
"I think I can get him before he gets there... he's almost in range." Han replied.
The small moon began to take on the appearance of a monstrous spherical battle station.
"That's no moon! It's a space station." Kenobi exclaimed.
"It's too big to be a space station." Han replied.
"I have a very bad feeling about this." Luke affirmed.
"Yeah, I think your right. Full reverse! Chewie, lock in the auxiliary power."
The pirateship shuddered and the Tie fighter accelerated away toward the gargantuan battle station.
"Why are we still moving towards it?" asked Luke.
"We're caught in a tractor beam! It's pulling us in!"
"But there's gotta be something you can do!"
"There's nothin' I can do about it, kid. I'm in full power. I'm going to have to shut down. But they're not going to get me without a fight!"
Ben Kenobi put a hand on his shoulder.
"You can't win. But there are alternatives to fighting." Ben stated.
As the battered pirate Star ship was towed closer to the awesome metal moon, the immense size of the massive battle station became staggering.
Running along the equator of the gigantic sphere was a mile-high band of huge docking ports into which the helpless pirate ship was dragged.
The helpless Millennium Falcon was pulled past a docking port control room and huge laser turret cannons.
"Clear Bay twenty-three-seven. We are opening the magnetic field."
The pirate ship was pulled in through port doors of the Death Star, coming to rest in a huge hangar. Thirty Stormtroopers stood at attention in a central assembly area.
"To your stations! Come with me."