Chapter 1: In A Galaxy Far Far Away...
Chapter Text
--
A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away . . .
It is a period of civil war. Rebel
spaceships, striking from a hidden base,
have won their first victory against the evil Galactic Empire.
During the battle, Rebel spies managed to steal secret plans
to the Empire's ultimate weapon, the Death Star,
an armoured space station with enough power to destroy an entire planet.
Pursued by the Empire's sinister agents, Prince Luke
races home aboard his starship, custodian of the stolen plans
that can save his people and restore freedom to the galaxy . . .
--
Chapter 2: The Beginning
Chapter Text
An explosion rocks the ship as R2-D2 and C-3PO struggle to make their way through the shaking, bouncing passageway. Another blast shakes them as they struggle along their way.
“Did you hear that? They've shut down the main reactor. We'll be destroyed for sure. This is madness!”
Threepio rambled as rebel troopers rushed past the robots and took up positions in the main passageway. They aim their weapons toward the door.
“We’re doomed”
Threepio cried out again as The R2 unit replied with a series of electronic sounds that only another robot could understand.
“There'll be no escape for the Prince this time”
Threepio replied Artoo continues making beeping sounds. Tension mounts as loud metallic latches clank and the scream of heavy equipment are heard moving around the outside hull of the ship.
“What’s That”
Threepio asked
Outside the rebel ship the Imperial craft has easily overtaken the Rebel Blockade Runner. The smaller Rebel ship is being drawn into the underside dock of the giant Imperial starship.
The nervous Rebel troopers aim their weapons. Suddenly a tremendous blast opensup a hole in the main passageway and a score of fearsome armored spacesuited
stormtroopers make their way into the smoke-filled corridor. In a few minutes the entire passageway is ablaze with laserfire. The deadly bolts ricochet in wild random patterns creating huge explosions. Stormtroopers scatter and duck behind storage lockers. Laserbolts hit several Rebel soldiers who scream and stagger through the smoke, holding shattered arms and faces. An explosion hits near the robots.
" I should have known better than to trust the logic of a half-sized thermocapsulary dehousing assister... "
Threepio grumbled out obviously shaken by the explosion, Artoo counters with an angry rebuttal as the battle rages around the two hapless robots.
--
A death-white wasteland stretches from horizon to horizon. The tremendous heat of two huge twin suns settle on a lone figure, Leia Skywalker, a farm girl with heroic aspirations who looks much younger than her eighteen years. Her brown hair tied up into 2 buns at the side of her head and baggy tunic give her the air of a simple but lovable girl with a prizewinning smile. A light wind whips at her as she adjusts several valves on a large battered moisture vaporator which sticks out of the desert floor much like an oil pipe with valves. She is aided by a beatup robot with six claw arms. The little robot appears to be barely functioning and moves with jerky motions. A bright sparkle in the morning sky catches Leia's eye and she instinctively grabs a pair of binoculars from her utility belt. She stands transfixed for a few moments studying the heavens, then dashed toward her dented, crudely repaired speeder. He motions for the tiny robot to follow him.
“Hurry up! Come with me! What are you waiting for?! Get in gear!”
The robot scoots around in a tight circle, stops short, and smoke begins to pour out of every joint. Leia throws her arms up in disgust. Exasperated, the young farm girl jumps into her Landspeeder leaving the smoldering robot to hum madly.
--
The terrifying, seven-foot-tall Dark Lord of the Sith makes his way into the blinding light of the main passageway. This is Darth Vader, right hand of the Emperor. His face is obscured by his flowing black robes and grotesque breath mask, which stands out next to the fascist white armored suits of the Imperial stormtroopers. Everyone instinctively backs away from the imposing warrior and a deathly quiet sweeps through the Rebel troops. Several of the Rebel troops break and run in a frenzied panic.
In a seperate dark room A man's hand puts a card into an opening in Artoo's dome. Artoo makes beeping sounds.
--
Threepio stands in a hallway, somewhat bewildered. Artoo is nowhere in sight. The pitiful screams of the doomed Rebel soldiers can be heard in the distance.
"Artoo! Artoo-Detoo, where are you?"
Threepio called out before hearing the familiar clanking sound attacks Threepio's attention and he spots little Artoo at the end of the hallway in a smoke-filled alcove. A
beautiful young boy stands in front of Artoo. Surreal and out of place, dreamlike and half hidden in the smoke, he finishes
adjusting something on Artoo's computer face, then watches as the little robot joins his companion.
"At last! Where have you been?"
He cries out and stormtroopers can be heard battling in the distance.
"They're heading in this direction. What are we going to do? We'll be sent to the spice mines of Kessel or smashed into who knows what!"
Artoo scoots past his gold friend and races down the hallway. Threepio chases after him.
"Wait a minute, where are you going?"
Artoo responds with electronic beeps
--
The evil Darth Vader stands amid the broken and twisted bodies of his foes. He grabs a wounded Rebel Officer by the neck as an Imperial Officer rushes up to
the Dark Lord.
"The Death Star plans are not in
the main computer."
The imperial officer informs and Vader squeezes the neck of the Rebel Officer, who struggles
in vain as the Darth Vaders Robotic voices speaks to the rebel officer.
"Where are those transmissions you intercepted?"
Vader lifts the Rebel off his feet by his throat.
"We intercepted no transmissions. Aaah... This is a consular ship we're on a diplomatic mission"
The officer croaks out his voice strained from vader's force choke
"If this is a consular ship... where is the Ambassador?"
Vader questions as the Rebel refuses to speak but eventually cries out as the Dark Lord begins to squeeze the officer's throat, creating a gruesome snapping and choking, until the soldier goes limp. Vader tosses the dead soldier against the wall and turns to his troops.
"Commander, tear this ship apart until you've found those plans and bring me the Ambassador. I want him alive!"
The stormtroopers scurry into the subhallways.
The lovely young boy huddles in a small alcove as the stormtroopers search through the ship. He is Prince Luke Organa, a member of the Alderaan Senate. The fear in his eyes slowly gives way to anger as the muted crushing sounds of the approaching stormtroopers grow louder. One of the troopers spots him.
"There he is! Set for stun!"
The trooper orders Luke steps from his hiding place and blasts a trooper with his laser pistol. He starts to run but is felled by a
paralyzing ray. The troopers inspect his inert body.
"He'll be all right. Inform Lord Vader we have a prisoner"
--
in a seperate hallway Artoo stops before the small hatch of an emergency lifepod. He snaps the seal on the main latch and a red warning light begins to flash. Robot works his way into the cramped four-man pod.
"Hey, you're not permitted in there. it's restricted. You'll be deactivated for sure.."
Threepio worries as Artoo beeps something to him.
"Don't call me a mindless philosopher, you overweight glob of grease! Now come out before somebody sees you."
Threepio continues Artoo whistles something at his reluctant friend regarding the mission he is about to perform.
"Secret mission? What plans? What are you talking about? I'm not getting in there!"
Artoo isn't happy with Threepio's stubbornness, and he beeps and twangs angrily. A new explosion, this time very close, sends dust and debris through the narrow subhallway. Flames lick at Threepio and, after a flurry of electronic swearing from Artoo, the lanky robot jumps into the lifepod.
"I'm going to regret this."
--
On the main viewscreen, the lifepod carrying the two terrified robots speeds away from the stricken Rebel spacecraft.
"There goes another one."
a pilot watching the screen informs his captain who replies
"Hold your fire. There are no life forms. It must have been short-circuited."
--
Artoo and Threepio look out at the receding Imperial starship. Stars circle as the pod rotates through the galaxy.
" That's funny, the damage doesn't look as bad from out here."
Artoo beeps an assuring response.
"Are you sure this thing is safe? "
Threepio replies
Chapter Text
Heat waves radiate from the dozen or so bleached white buildings. Leia pilots her Landspeeder through the dusty empty street of the tiny settlement. An old woman runs to get out of the way of the speeding vehicle, shaking her fist at Leia as she flies past.
“I've told you kids to slow down! Leia pulls up behind a low concrete service station that is all but covered by the shifting desert sands.”
The women yells as leia flies past and bursts into the power station, waking The Fixer, a rugged mechanic and Camie, a sexy, disheveled girl who has been asleep in his lap. They grumbled as she races through the office, yelling wildly. The Fixer wakes up and begins rumbling to the girl in his lap.
“Did I hear a young noise blast through here?”
“It was just Wormie on another rampage.”
Camie replied Leia bounces into a small room behind the office where Deak and Windy, two tough boys about the same age as Leia, are playing a computer pool-like game with Biggs, a burly, handsome boy a few years older than the rest. His flashy city attire is a sharp contrast to the loose-fitting tunics of the farm boys. A robot repairs some equipment in the background.
“Shape it up you guys!... Biggs?”
Leia's surprise at the appearance of Biggs gives way to great joy and emotion. They give each other a great bear hug. Leia pulls away from the hug placing her hands on bigg’s cheeks and brining their lips together softly and after a moment his arms snaked round her waist pulling her closer before she pulls away to talk to him after a moment.
“I didn't know you were back! When did you get in?”
She questions.
“Just now. I wanted to surprise you, hot shot. I thought you'd be here... certainly didn't expect you to be out working.”
Biggs replies with a laugh.
“The Academy didn't change you much... but you're back so soon? Hey, what happened, didn't you get your commission?”
Leia tells him noticing that Biggs has an air of cool that seems slightly phony.
“Of course I got it. Signed aboard The Rand Ecliptic last week. First mate Biggs Darklighter at your service... (he salutes) ... I just came back to say goodbye to all you unfortunate landlocked simpletons.”
Everyone laughs. But Leia's smile falls from her face knowing that this time he may never return. The dazzling spectacle of his dashing friend is almost too much for Leia, but suddenly she snaps out of her sadness.
“I almost forgot. There's a battle going on! Right here in our system. Come and look!”
Leia exclaims grabbing his hands and leading him out of the building the rest of the group following after him as Deaks moans about the subject the farmgirl brought up.
“Not again! Forget it.”
The group stumbles out into the stifling desert sun. Camie and The Fixer complain and are forced to shade their eyes. Leia has her binoculars out scanning the heavens.
“There they are!”
Leia exclaims as Biggs takes the binoculars from her as the others strain to see something with the naked eye. Through the binoculars Biggs sees two small silver specks before turning to leia.
“ That's no battle, hot shot... they're just sitting there! Probably a freighter-tanker refueling.”
“But there was a lot of firing earlier…”
Leia replies helplessly before Camie grabs the binoculars away banging them against the building in the process. Before Luke grabs them complaining to the older women.
“Hey, easy with those…”
“Don't worry about it, Wormie. “
She replies and The Fixer gives Leia a hard look and the young farm girl shrugs her shoulders in resignation.
“I keep telling you, the Rebellion is a long way from here. I doubt if the Empire would even fight to keep this system. Believe me Leia, this planet is a big hunk of nothing... “
The fixer tells her as Leia agrees, although it's obvious she isn't sure why. The group stumbles back into the power station, grumbling about Leia's ineptitude.
--
Prince Luke is led down a low-ceilinged hallway by a squad of armored stormtroopers. His hands are bound and he is brutally shoved when he is unable to keep up with the briskly marching troops. They stop in a smoky hallway as Darth Vader emerges from the shadows. The sinister Dark Lord stares hard at the frail young senator, but he doesn't move as he addresses Vader.
“Lord Vader, I should have known. Only you could be so bold. The Imperial Senate will not sit still for this, when they hear you've attacked a diplomatic…”
“Don't play games with me, Your Highness. You weren't on any mercy mission this time. You passed directly through a restricted system. Several transmissions were beamed to this ship by Rebel spies. I want to know what happened to the plans they sent you.”
The Dark Lord interrupts although his face is veiled by his helmet everyone could sense his short temper with the rebel price
“I don't know what you're talking about. I'm a member of the Imperial Senate on a diplomatic mission to Alderaan…”
The prince replies before Vader interrupts him once again
“You're a part of the Rebel Alliance ... and a traitor. Take him away!”
Luke is marched away down the hallway and into the smoldering hole blasted in the side of the ship. An Imperial Commander turns to Vader and speaks to him.
“Holding him is dangerous. If word of this gets out, it could generate sympathy for the Rebellion in the senate. “
“I have traced the Rebel spies to him. Now he is my only link to find their secret base”
Vader coldly replies before the commander speaks again
“He'll die before He’ll tell you anything.”
“Leave that to me. Send a distress signal and then inform the senate that all aboard were killed!”
Vader replies as another Imperial Officer approaches Vader and the Commander. They stop and snap to attention.
“Lord Vader, the battle station plans are not aboard this ship! And no transmissions were made. An escape pod was jettisoned during the fighting, but no life forms were aboard.”
Vader turns to the Commander.
“He must have hidden the plans in the escape pod. Send a detachment down to retrieve them. See to it personally, Commander. There'll be no one to stop us this time.”
“Yes, sir.”
Notes:
This is my first fanfic being more than 1 chapter long and i know i'm not the best at writing but i hope that everyone reading this fanfic is enjoying it <3
Chapter 4: The Droids and The hologram Prince
Notes:
This chapter is going to be a long one
Chapter Text
--
Two helpless astro-robots kick up clouds of sand as they leave the lifepod and clumsily work their way across the desert wasteland. The lifepod in the distance rests half buried in the sand.
“How did I get into this mess? I really don't know how. We seem to be made to suffer. It's our lot in life.”
Artoo answers with beeping sounds. “I've got to rest before I fall apart. My joints are almost frozen.” Artoo continues to respond with beeping sounds.”What a desolate place this is.” Suddenly Artoo whistles, makes a sharp right turn and starts off in the direction of the rocky desert mesas. Threepio stops and yells at him.
“Where are you going?”
A stream of electronic noises pours forth from the small robot. “Well, I'm not going that way. It's much too rocky. This way is much easier.” Artoo counters with a long whistle. “What makes you think there are settlements over there?” Artoo continues to make beeping sounds. “Don't get technical with me” Artoo continues to make beeping sounds.
“What mission? What are you talking about? I've had just about enough of you! Go that way! You'll be malfunctioning within a day, you nearsighted scrap pile!”
Threepio gives the little robot a kick and starts off in the direction of the vast dune sea. “And don't let me catch you following me begging for help, because you won't get it.” Artoo's reply is a rather rude sound. He turns and trudges off in the direction of the towering mesas.
“No more adventures. I'm not going that way.” Artoo beeps to himself as he makes his way toward the distant mountains.
Threepio, hot and tired, struggles up over the ridge of a dune: only to find more dunes, which seem to go on for endless miles. He looks back in the direction of the now distant rock mesas.
“That malfunctioning little twerp. This is all his fault! He tricked me into going this way, but he'll do no better.” In a huff of anger and frustration, Threepio knocks the sand from his joints. His plight seems hopeless, when a glint of reflected light in the distance reveals an object moving towards him. “Wait, what's that? A transport! I'm saved!” The bronze android waves frantically and yells at the approaching transport. “Over here! Help! Please, help!”
--
Leia and Biggs are walking and drinking a malt brew. Fixer and the others can be heard working inside. Leia continues to talk animatedly to biggs.
“... so I cut off my power, shut down the afterburners and came in low on Deak's trail. I was so close I thought I was going to fry my instruments. As it was I busted up the Skyhopper pretty bad. Uncle Owen was pretty upset. He grounded me for the rest of the season. You should have been there... it was fantastic.”
“You ought to take it a little easy Leia. You may be the hottest bushpilot this side of Mos Eisley, but those little Skyhoppers are dangerous. Keep it up, and one day, whammo, you're going to be nothing more than a dark spot on the down side of a canyon wall.” Leia gives him an offended look “Well look who's talking. Now that you've been around those giant starships you're beginning to sound like my uncle. You've gotten soft in the city”
“I've missed you kid.” He laughs pulling her closely to his side
“Well, things haven't been the same since you left, Biggs. It's been so...quiet.” Biggs looks around then leans down to her. “Leia, I didn't come back just to say goodbye... I shouldn't tell you this, but you're the only one I can trust... and if I don't come back, I want somebody to know.” Leia's eyes are wide with worry. “What are you talking about?”. Biggs continued to whisper to her.
“I made some friends at the Academy. ... when our frigate goes to one of the central systems, we're going to jump ship and join the Alliance.” Leia, amazed and stunned, is almost speechless.
“Join the Rebellion?! Are you kidding! How?”
She exclaims a bit too loud “Quiet down will ya! You got a mouth bigger than a meteor crater!” he whisper/shouts to her and she winces and starts to whisper “I'm sorry. I'm quiet. listen how quiet I am. You can barely hear me…” Biggs shakes his head angrily and then continues. “My friend has a friend on Bestine who might help us make contact”
“You’re crazy! You could wander around forever trying to find them.”
"I know it's a long shot, but if I don't find them I'll do what I can on my own... It's what we always talked about. Leia I'm not going to wait for the Empire to draft me into service. The Rebellion is spreading and I want to be on the right side - the side I believe in."
Leia sits there listening to him heartbroken at the fact her first love was leaving “And I'm stuck here…” biggs looks down at her confused at her words “I thought you were going to the Academy next term. You'll get your chance to get off this rock” her sadness vanishes and is replaced by annoyance
”Not likely! I had to cancel my application. There has been a lot of unrest among the Sand People since you left... they've even raided the outskirts of Anchorhead. “
Your uncle could hold off a whole colony of Sand People with one blaster” Biggs replied trying to convince her “I know, but he's got enough vaporators going to make the place pay off. He needs me for just one more season. I can't leave him now.” Leia responds her voice now laced with sadness and guilt
“I feel for you, Leia, you're going to have to learn what seems to be important or what really is important. What good is all your uncle's work if it's taken over by the Empire?... You know they're starting to nationalize commerce in the central systems... it won't be long before your uncle is merely a tenant, slaving for the greater glory of the Empire.” Biggs grabbed her hands in his now facing her as she began to speak again “It couldn't happen here. You said it yourself. The Empire won't bother with this rock.”
“Things always change.” He tells her hopefully
“I wish I was going... Are you going to be around long?” she looks up to meet his eyes and sees a guilty look in them. “No, I'm leaving in the morning..” she sighs “Then I guess I won't see you.”
“Maybe someday... I'll keep a lookout.”
“Well, I'll be at the Academy next season... after that who knows. I won't be drafted into the Imperial Starfleet that's for sure... Take care of yourself, you'll always be my first love biggs.”
“So long Leia, i love you” . Biggs turns away from his first love and heads back towards the power station.
--
The gargantuan rock formations are shrouded in a strange foreboding mist and the ominous sounds of unearthly creatures fill the air. Artoo moves cautiously through the creepy rock canyon, inadvertently making a loud clicking noise as he goes. He hears a distant, hard, metallic sound and stops for a moment. Convinced he is alone, he continues on his way. In the distance, a pebble tumbles down the steep canyon wall and a small dark figure darts into the shadows. A little further up the canyon a slight flicker of light reveals a pair of eyes in the dark recesses only a few feet from the narrow path. The unsuspecting robot waddles along the rugged trail until suddenly, out of nowhere, a powerful magnetic ray shoots out of the rocks and engulfs him in an eerie glow.
He manages one short electronic squeak before he topples over onto his back. His bright computer lights flicker off, then on, then off again. Out of the rocks scurry three Jawas, no taller than Artoo. They holster strange and complex weapons as they cautiously approach the robot. They wear grubby cloaks and their faces are shrouded so that only their glowing yellow eyes can be seen. They hiss and make odd guttural sounds as they heave the heavy robot onto their shoulders and carry him off down the trail.
The eight Jawas carry Artoo out of the canyon to a huge tank-like vehicle the size of a four-story house. They weld a small disk on the side of Artoo and then put him under a large tube on the side of the vehicle and the little robot is sucked into the giant machine. The filthy little Jawas scurry like rats up small ladders and enter the main cabin of the behemoth transport.
It is dim inside the hold area of the Sandcrawler. Artoo switches on a small floodlight on his forehead and stumbles around the scrap heap. The narrow beam swings across rusty metal rocket parts and an array of grotesquely twisted and maimed astro-robots. He lets out a pathetic electronic whimper and stumbles off toward what appears to be a door at the end of the chamber.
Artoo enters a wide room with a four-foot ceiling. In the middle of the scrap heap sit a dozen or so robots of various shapes and sizes. Some are engaged in electronic conversation, while others simply mill about. A voice of recognition calls out from the gloom.
“Artoo-Detoo! It's you! It's you!” A battered Threepio scrambles up to Artoo and embraces him.
The enormous Sandcrawler lumbers off toward the magnificent twin suns, which are slowly setting over a distant mountain ridge.
--
Four Imperial stormtroopers mill about in front of the half buried lifepod that brought Artoo and Threepio to Tatooine. A trooper yells to an officer some distance away. “Someone was in the pod. The tracks go off in this direction.” A second trooper picks up a small bit of metal out of the sand and gives it to the first trooper. “ Look, sir - droids.”
--
The Sandcrawler moves slowly down a great sand dune. Threepio and Artoo noisily bounce along inside the cramped prison chamber. Artoo appears to be shut off before Threepio begins to shout at him “Wake up! Wake up!” Suddenly the shaking and bouncing of the Sandcrawler stops, creating quite a commotion among the mechanical men. Threepio's fist bangs the head of Artoo whose computer lights pop on as he begins beeping. At the far end of the long chamber a hatch opens, filling the chamber with blinding white light. a dozen or so Jawas make their way through the odd assortment of robots.
“We're doomed.” A Jawa starts moving toward them. “Do you think they'll melt us down?” Artoo responds, making beeping sounds as threepio continues to yell “Don't shoot! Don't shoot! Will this never end?”
The Jawas mutter gibberish as they busily line up their battered captives, including Artoo and Threepio, in front of the enormous Sandcrawler, which is parked beside a small homestead consisting of three large holes in the ground surrounded by several tall moisture vaporators and one small adobe block house. The Jawas scurry around fussing over the robots, straightening them up or brushing some dust from a dented metallic elbow.
The shrouded little creatures smell horribly, attracting small insects to the dark areas when their mouths and nostrils should be. Out of the shadows of a dingy side-building limps Owen Lars, a large burly man in his mid-fifties. His reddish eyes are sunken in a dust-covered face. As the farmer carefully inspects each of the robots, he is closely followed by his slump-shouldered niece, Leia Skywalker.
One of the vile little Jawas walks ahead of the farmer spouting an animated sales pitch in a queer, unintelligible language. A voice calls out from one of the huge holes that form the homestead. Leia goes over to the edge and sees her Aunt Beru standing in the main courtyard. “Leia, tell Owen that if he gets a translator to be sure it speaks Bocce.” her aunt shouts up to her “It looks like we don't have much of a choice but I'll remind him.” leia shouts down to her aunt
Leia returns to her uncle as they look over the equipment for sale with the Jawa leader. “I have no need for a protocol droid.” her uncle discusses with the leader before being interrupted “Sir - not in an environment such as this - that's why I've also been programmed for over thirty secondary functions that…” Owen cuts him off
“What I really need is a droid that understands the binary languages of moisture vaporators.”
“Vaporators! Sir - My first job was programming binary load lifters ... very similar to your vaporators. You could say…” Owen cuts him off again, becoming impatient with the droids rambling “Do you speak Bocce?” threepio not taking the hint continues his long winded talk “Of course I can, sir. It's like a second language for me... I'm as fluent in Bocce…” Owens temper grew shorter “All right; shut up!” he turns back to the jawa
“I'll take this one.”
“Shutting up, sir.” Owen turns to his niece “Leia, take these two over to the garage, will you? I want you to have both of them cleaned up before dinner.” he asks as she begins to protests “But I was going into Toshi Station to pick up some power converters…” he cuts her protests short “You can waste time with your friends when your chores are done. Now, come on, get to it!” she sighs and motions for the droids to follow her “All right, come on! And the red one, come on. Well, come on, Red, let's go.”
As the Jawas start to lead the three remaining robots back into the Sandcrawler, Artoo lets out a pathetic little beep and starts after his old friend Threepio. He is restrained by a slimy Jawa, who zaps him with a control box. Owen is negotiating with the head Jawa. Leia and the two robots start for the garage when a plate pops off the head of the red astro-droid, throwing parts all over the ground. She adjusts the astro-droid's head plate and it sparks wildly. “Uncle Owen…” she shouts “Yeah?”
“This R2 unit has a bad motivator. Look!” Owen turns to the head jawa “Hey, what're you trying to push on us?” The Jawa goes into a loud spiel. Meanwhile, Artoo has sneaked out of line and is moving up and down trying to attract attention. He lets out with a low whistle. Threepio taps Leia on the shoulder. “ Excuse me, ma’am, but that R2 unit is in prime condition. A real bargain.” leia looks at him before turning back to her uncle
“Uncle Owen…” he stops conversing with the jawa “Yeah?” leia points to R2D2 “What about that one?” Owen turns back to the jawa “What about that blue one? We'll take that one.” With a little reluctance the scruffy dwarf trades the damaged droid for Artoo.
“Yeah, take it away” she motion the jawa’s to take the droid away as threepio begins to speak again “Uh, I'm quite sure you'll be very pleased with that one, ma’am He really is in first-class condition. I've worked with him before. Here he comes.” Owen pays off the whining Jawa and the two robots trudge off toward a grimy homestead entry. “Okay, let's go.” leia says as threepio turns to talk to Artoo “Now, don't forget this! Why I should stick my neck out for you is quite beyond my capacity!”
The garage is cluttered and worn, but a friendly peaceful atmosphere permeates the low gray chamber. Threepio lowers himself into a large tub filled with warm oil. Near the battered Landspeeder little Artoo rests on a large battery with a cord to his face. “Thank the maker! This oil bath is going to feel so good. I've got such a bad case of dust contamination, I can barely move!”
Artoo beeps a muffled reply. Leia seems to be lost in thought as she runs her hand over the damaged fin of a small two-man skyhopper spaceship resting in a low hangar off the garage. Finally Leia's frustrations get the better of her and she slams a wrench across the workbench.
“It just isn't fair. Oh, Biggs is right. I'm never gonna get out of here!” Threepio begins to try to comfort the farmgirl “Is there anything I might do to help?” Leia glances at the battered robot. A bit of her anger drains and a tiny smile creeps across her face. “Well, not unless you can alter time, speed up the harvest, or teleport me off this rock!” Threepio replies without any amusement “I don't think so, ma’am. I'm only a droid and not very knowledgeable about such things. Not on this planet, anyways. As a matter of fact, I'm not even sure which planet I'm on.” Leia laughs humorlessly “Well, if there's a bright center to the universe, you're on the planet that it's farthest from.”
“I see, ma’am.” leia replies to him with a laugh “Uh, you can call me Leia.”
“I see, Lady Leia.” Leia laughs harder “Just Leia.” threepio begins to introduce himself and his droid partner “And I am See-Threepio, human-cyborg relations, and this is my counterpart, Artoo-Detoo.” leia greets them “Hello.”
Artoo beeps in response. Leia unplugs Artoo and begins to scrape several connectors on the robot's head with a chrome pick. Threepio climbs out of the oil tub and begins wiping oil from his gold body.
“You got a lot of carbon scoring here. It looks like you boys have seen a lot of action.”
“With all we've been through, sometimes I'm amazed we're in as good condition as we are, what with the Rebellion and all.” Threepio replies not at all worried abut the sensitive information he was providing “You know of the Rebellion against the Empire?” Leia exclaims in excitement and disbelief “That's how we came to be in your service, if you take my meaning, ma’am” leia begins to question the droid eagerly
“Have you been in many battles?”
“Several, I think. Actually, there's not much to tell. I'm not much more than an interpreter, and not very good at telling stories. Well, not at making them interesting, anyways." Threepio replies oblivious to the girl's eagerness as Leia struggles to remove a small metal fragment from Artoo's neck joint. SGe uses a larger pick.
“Well, my little friend, you've got something jammed in here real good. Were you on a starcruiser or…” The fragment breaks loose with a snap, sending Leia tumbling head over heels. She sits up and sees a twelve-inch three-dimensional hologram of Luke Organa, the Rebel senator, being projected from the face of little Artoo. The image is a rainbow of colors as it flickers and jiggles in the dimly lit garage. Leia's mouth hangs open in awe.
“Help me, Obi-Wan Kenobi. You're my only hope.”
The recording plays of the rebel prince “What's this?” Artoo looks around and sheepishly beeps an answer for Threepio to translate. Leia continues to repeat the sentence fragment over and over. Threepio becomes annoyed at the lack of answers that Artoo is giving “What is what?!? He asked you a question... (pointing to Luke) What is that?” Artoo whistles his surprise as he pretends to just notice the hologram. He looks around and sheepishly beeps an answer for Threepio to translate.
Hologram Luke continues to repeat the sentence fragment over and over. “Help me, Obi-Wan Kenobi. You're my only hope. Help me, Obi-Wan Kenobi. You're my only hope”
“Oh, he says it's nothing, sir. Merely a malfunction. Old data. Pay it no mind.” Leia becomes intrigued by the handsome boy. “Who is he? He's quite handsome.” she turns to threepio for answers “I'm afraid I'm not quite sure, Ma'am.”
“Help me, Obi-Wan Kenobi…”
“I think he was a passenger on our last voyage. A person of some importance, ma’am - I believe. Our captain was attached to…” Leia turns from the droid to threepio “is there more to this recording?” Leia reaches out for Artoo but he lets out several frantic squeaks and a whistle. “Behave yourself, Artoo. You're going to get us in trouble. It's all right, you can trust her. She's our new master.” Artoo whistles and beeps a long message to Threepio.
“He says he's the property of Obi-Wan Kenobi, a resident of these parts. And it's a private message for him. Quite frankly, ma’am, I don't know what he's talking about. Our last master was Captain Antilles, but with what we've been through, this little R2 unit has become a bit eccentric”
Leia recognises that name “Obi-Wan Kenobi? I wonder if he means old Ben Kenobi?” Threepio seems shocked at her recognition “I beg your pardon, sir, but do you know what he's talking about?”
“Well, I don't know anyone named Obi-Wan, but old Ben lives out beyond the dune sea. He's kind of a strange old hermit.” Leia gazes at the handsome young prince for a few moments. “I wonder who she is. It sounds like she's in trouble. I'd better play back the whole thing.”
Artoo beeps something to Threepio. “He says the restraining bolt has short circuited his recording system. He suggests that if you remove the bolt, he might be able to play back the entire recording.” Leia looks longingly at the lovely, little prince and hasn't really heard what Threepio has been saying.
“H'm? Oh, yeah, well, I guess you're too small to run away on me if I take this off! Okay.” Leia takes a wedged bar and pops the restraining bolt off Artoo's side. “There you go.” The prince immediately disappears. “Well, wait a minute. Where'd she go? Bring her back! Play back the entire message.” Artoo beeps an innocent reply as Threepio sits up in embarrassment.
“What message? The one you’ve just been playing. The one you're carrying inside your rusty innards!” Threepio scolds as a woman's voice calls out from another room. “Leia? Leia! Come to dinner!” Leia stands up and shakes her head at the malfunctioning robot. “All right, I'll be right there, Aunt Beru.” Threepio begins to inform the girl of what Artoo has been saying
“I'm sorry, sir, but he appears to have picked up a slight flutter” Leia tosses Artoo's restraining bolt on the workbench and hurries out of the room. “Well, see what you can do with him. I'll be right back.”
Threepio turns to Artoo Just you reconsider playing that message for her. Artoo beeps in response. “No, I don't think she likes you at all,” Artoo beeps. “No, I don't like you either.”
Chapter 5: The Tale of Obi-Wan Kenobi
Notes:
I'm sorry for not updating in almost 2 weeks I've been on holiday and I've been busy with my new job but i hope you enjoy this chapter and I hope to get a better writing schedule soon, Enjoy!!
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Leia's Aunt Beru, a warm, motherly woman, fills a pitcher with blue fluid from a refrigerated container in the well-used kitchen. She puts the pitcher on a tray with some bowls of food and starts for the dining area. Leia sits with her Uncle Owen before a table covered with steaming bowls of food as Aunt Beru carries in a bowl of red grain. “You know, I think that R2 unit we bought might have been stolen.” Owen looks up at his niece while she speaks before replying “What makes you think that?” “
“Well, I stumbled across a recording while I was cleaning him. He says he belongs to someone called Obi- Wan Kenobi.”
Owen is greatly alarmed at the mention of his name, but manages to control himself while Leia continues “I thought he might have meant Ben. Do you know what he's talking about? Well, I wonder if he's related to Ben.” Owen breaks loose with a fit of uncontrolled anger. “That old man's just a crazy wizard. Tomorrow I want you to take that R2 unit into Anchorhead and have its memory flushed. That'll be the end of it. It belongs to us now.”
“But what if this Obi-Wan comes looking for him?” Owen looks down at his food before replying “He won't, I don't think he exists any more. He trained your father about the same time as your he met your mother.” Leia perks up at the mention of her parents He knew my father and mother?
“I told you to forget it. Your only concern is to prepare the new droids for tomorrow. In the morning I want them on the south ridge working out those condensers.”
”Yes, sir. I think those new droids are going to work out fine. In fact, I, uh, was also thinking about our agreement about my staying on another season. And if these new droids do work out, I want to transmit my application to the Academy this year.” Owen's face becomes a scowl, although he tries to suppress it. “You mean the next semester before harvest?”
“Sure, there're more than enough droids.” she defends herself “Harvest is when I need you the most. Only one more season. This year we'll make enough on the harvest so I'll be able to hire some more hands. And then you can go to the Academy next year”. Leia continues to toy with her food, not looking at his uncle. “ You must understand I need you here, Leia” Leia stares at her food in anger before becoming quiet again. “But it's a whole 'nother year.” she protested “Look, it's only one more season” Luke pushes his half-eaten plate of food aside and stands.
“Yeah, that's what you said last year when Biggs and Tank left.”
“Where are you going?” her aunt asked worried “It looks like I'm going nowhere. I have to finish cleaning those droids.” Resigned to his fate, Leia paddles out of the room. Owen mechanically finishes his dinner. “Owen, she can't stay here forever. Most of her friends have gone Biggs has gone you know how much she loved him and it means so much to her.” Owen sighs “I'll make it up to him next year. I promise.” Beru looked at him knowingly “Leia's just not a farmer, Owen. She has too much of Anakin in her, we should have let kneobi train her”
“That's what I'm afraid of. I'm not letting Kenobi fail another Skywalker”
The giant twin suns of Tatooine slowly disappear behind a distant dune range. Leia stands watching them for a few moments, then reluctantly enters the doomed entrance to the homestead. She enters the garage to discover the robots nowhere in sight. She takes a small control box from her utility belt similar to the one the Jawas were carrying. she activates the box, which creates a low hum, and Threepio, letting out a short yell, pops up from behind the Skyhopper spaceship.
“What are you doing hiding over there?”
She asks as Threepio stumbles forward, but Artoo is still nowhere in sight. “It wasn't my fault, sir. Please don't deactivate me. I told him not to go, but he's faulty, malfunctioning; kept babbling about his mission.” Leia's face dropped “Oh, no!” She races out of the garage followed by Threepio.
Leia rushes out of the small doomed entry to the homestead and searches the darkening horizon for the small robot. Threepio struggles out of the homestead and on the salt flat as Leia scans the landscape with her binoculars. “That R2 unit has always been a problem. These astro-droids are getting quite out of hand. Even I can't understand their logic at times." Leia continued to look at the horizon “How could I be so stupid? He's nowhere in sight. Blast it!” she brings the binoculars down from her face and places a hand over her eyes
“Pardon me, ma’am, but couldn't we go after him?”
“It's too dangerous with all the Sand People around. We'll have to wait until morning.” Owen yells up from the homestead plaza. “Leia, I'm shutting the power down for the night” Leia shouted back down to her uncle “All right, I'll be there in a few minutes. Boy, am I gonna get it.” He takes one final look across the dim horizon.
“You know that little droid is going to cause me a lot of trouble”.
“Oh, he excels at that, sir.”
Morning slowly creeps into the sparse but sparkling oasis of the open courtyard. The idyll is broken be the yelling of Uncle Owen, his voice echoing throughout the homestead. Leia? Leia? Leia? Where could she be loafing now!
The interior of the kitchen is a worm glow as Aunt Beru prepares the morning breakfast. Owen enters in a huff. “Have you seen Leia this morning? He sat at the table “She said she had some things to do before he started today, so she left early.” She places some plated on the table. “Did he take those two new droids with him?” she then sits opposite him “I think so.”
“Well, he'd better have those units in the south range repaired be midday or there'll be hell to pay!“
The rock and sand of the desert floor are a blur as Threepio pilots the sleek Landspeeder gracefully across the vast wasteland. Leia leans over the back of the speeder and adjusts something in the motor compartment then shouts down to threepio “How's that.” Threepio signals that it is fine and Leia turns back into the wind-whipped cockpit and pops the canopy shut.
Leia looks out into the sandy distance “Old Ben Kenobi lives out in this direction somewhere, but I don't see how that R2 unit could have come this far. We must have missed him. Uncle Owen isn't going to take this very well.”
“ma’am, would it help if you told him it was my fault.”
Her face lit up with that
“Sure. He needs you. He'd probably only deactivate you for a day or so…”
Threepio turned to her offended that she would even be happy about his deactivation
“Deactivate! Well, on the other hand if you hadn't removed his restraining bolt..”
She quickly interrupts
Wait, there's something dead ahead on the scanner. It looks like our droid... hit the accelerator”
From high on a rock mesa, the tiny Landspeeder can be seen gliding across the desert floor. Suddenly in the foreground two weather-beaten Sand People shrouded in their grimy desert cloaks peer over the edge of the rock mesa. One of the marginally human creatures raises a long ominous laser rifle and points it at the speeder but the second creature grabs the gun before it can be fired. The Sand People speak in a coarse barbaric language as they get into an animated argument. The second Tusken Raider seems to get in the final word and the nomads scurry over the rocky terrain.
The Tusken Raiders approaches two large Banthas standing tied to a rock. The monstrous, bear-like creatures are as large as elephants, with huge red eyes, tremendous looped horns, and long, furry, dinosaur-like tails. The Tusken Raiders mount saddles strapped to the huge creatures' shaggy backs and ride off down the rugged bluff.
The speeder is parked on the floor of a massive canyon. Leia, with her long laser rifle slung over her shoulder, stands before little Artoo. “Hey, whoa, just where do you think you're going?” The little droid whistles a feeble reply, as Threepio poses menacingly behind the little runaway before talking to him.
“Mistress Leia here is your rightful owner. We'll have no more of this Obi-Wan Kenobi jibberish... and don't talk to me of your mission, either. You're fortunate she doesn't blast you into a million pieces right here.
“Well, come on. It's getting late. I only hope we can get back before Uncle Owen really blows up.
She speaks upturning around and getting ready to head back
“If you don't mind my saying so, ma’am, I think you should deactivate the little fugitive until you've gotten him back to your workshop.
“No, he's not going to try anything again or he’ll be dealing with me not uncle owen”
Suddenly the little robot jumps to life with a mass of frantic whistles and screams. LUKE What's wrong with him now? “Oh my... ma’am, he says there are several creatures approaching from the southeast.” Leia swings her rifle into position and looks to the south.
“Sand People! Or worse! Come on, let's have a look. Come on.”
Leia carefully makes her way to the top of a rock ridge and scans the canyon with her binoculars. She spots the two riderless Banthas. Threepio struggles up behind the young adventurer. “There are two Banthas down there but I don't see any... wait a second, they're Sand People all right. I can see one of them now.” Leia watches the distant Tusken Raider through his electrobinoculars. Suddenly something huge moves in front of her field of view. Before Luke or Threepio can react, a large, gruesome Tusken Raider looms over them.
Threepio is startled and backs away, right off the side if the cliff. He can be heard for several moments as he clangs, bangs and rattles down the side of the mountain. The towering creature brings down his curved, double-pointed gaderffii - the dreaded axe blade that has struck terror in the heart of the local settlers. But Leia manages to block the blow with her laser rifle, which is smashed to pieces. The terrified farm girl scrambles backward until she is forced to the edge of a deep crevice. The sinister Raider stands over her with his weapon raised and lets out a horrible shrieking laugh.
Artoo forces himself into the shadows of a small alcove in the rocks as the vicious Sand People walk past carrying the inert Leia Skywalker, who is dropped in a heap before the speeder. The Sand People ransack the speeder, throwing parts and supplies in all directions. Suddenly they stop. Then everything is quiet for a few moments. A great howling moan is heard echoing throughout the canyon which sends the Sand People fleeing in terror. Artoo moves even tighter into the shadows as the slight swishing sound that frightened off the Sand People grows even closer, until a shabby man around 45 years old appears and leans over Luke.
His face aged but his hair remained a sandy colour but grey peaked through the scruff of his beard and his blue eyes showed a further wisdom, cracked and weathered by exotic climates Ben Kenobi squints his eyes as he scrutinizes the unconscious farm girl. Artoo makes a slight sound and Ben turns and looks right at him.
“Hello there! Come here my little friend. Don't be afraid.” Artoo waddles over to where leia lies crumpled in a heap and begins to whistle and beep his concern. Ben puts his hand on Leia's forehead and she begins to come around. “Don't worry, she'll be all right.”
“What happened?”
She squints up at the old man the sunlight obscuring her view
“Rest easy, leia, you've had a busy day. You're fortunate you're still in one piece.“
She sits up finally recognising the man above her
“Ben? Ben Kenobi! Stars, am I glad to see you!
“The Jundland Wastes are not to be traveled lightly. Tell me, young Leia, what brings you out this far?”
As if suddenly remembering where she is and why she motions to Artoo “Oh, this little droid! I think he's searching for his former master ... I've never seen such devotion in a droid before... there seems to be no stopping him. He claims to be the property of an Obi-Wan Kenobi. Is he a relative of yours? Do you know who he's talking about?” Ben ponders this for a moment, scratching his scruffy beard.
“Obi-Wan Kenobi... Obi-Wan? Now thats a name I haven't heard in a long time... a long time”
Leia continues on
“I think my uncle knew him. He said he was dead.”
“Oh, he's not dead, no... not yet.”
Leia looks at him in shock “You know him!”
“Well of course, of course I know him. He's me! I haven't gone by the name Obi-Wan since oh, before you were born.”
Leia stares at him in wonder and shock before replying
“Then the droid does belong to you.”
“Don't seem to remember ever owning a droid. Very interesting…” He suddenly looks up at the overhanging cliffs. “ I think we better get indoors. The Sand People are easily startled but they will soon be back and in greater numbers.” Leia stands up and rubs her head. Artoo lets out a pathetic beep causing Leia to remember something. She looks around.
“... Threepio!”
Little Artoo stands at the edge of a large sand pit and begins to chatter away in electronic whistles and beeps. Leia and Ben stand over a very dented and tangled Threepio lying half buried in the sand. One of his arms has broken off. Leia tries to revive the inert robot by shaking him and then flips a hidden switch on his back several times until finally the mechanical man's systems turn on. “Where am I? I must have taken a bad step…” Leia kneels beside the shaken robot.
“Can you stand? We've got to get out of here before the Sand People return.”
“I don't think I can make it. You go on, Mistress Leia. There's no sense in you risking yourself on my account. I'm done for.” Artoo makes a beeping sound. “No, you're not. What kind of talk is that?” Leia and Ben help the battered robot to his feet. Little Artoo watches from the top of the pit. Ben glances around suspiciously. Sensing something, he stands up and sniffs the air. “Quickly, leia... they're on the move.”
--
The small, spartan hovel is cluttered with desert junk but still manages to radiate an air of time-worn comfort and security. Leia is in one corner repairing Threepio's arm, as old Ben sits thinking. “No, my father didn't fight in the wars. He was a navigator on a spice freighter.”
“That's what your uncle told you. He didn't hold with your father's ideals. Thought he should have stayed here and not gotten involved.”
“You fought in the Clone Wars?”
“Yes, I was once a Jedi Knight the same as your father.”
“I wish I'd known him.”
“Remember this Leia no matter what, your father was good man and he was the best star-pilot in the galaxy, and a cunning warrior. I understand you've become quite a good pilot yourself. And he was a good friend. You look just like him, Leia you share your mothers features but you act as he once did. Which reminds me…” Ben gets up and goes to a chest where he rummages around. As Leia finishes repairing Threepio and starts to fit the restraining bolt back on, Threepio looks at him nervously. Luke thinks about the bolt for a moment then puts it on the table. Ben shuffles up and presents Luke with a short handle with several electronic gadgets attached to it.
“I have something here for you. Your father wanted you to have this when you were old enough, but your uncle wouldn't allow it. He feared you might follow old Obi-Wan on some damned-fool idealistic crusade like your father did.”
“Ma’am, if you'll not be needing me, I'll close down for awhile.” Threepio interrupted
“Sure, go ahead.” Ben hands Leia the saber. “What is it?”
“Your fathers lightsaber. This is the weapon of a Jedi Knight. Not as clumsy or as random as a blaster.” Leia pushes a button on the handle. A long beam shoots out about four feet and flickers there. The light plays across the ceiling. “An elegant weapon for a more civilized time. For over a thousand generations the Jedi Knights were the guardians of peace and justice in the Old Republic. Before the dark times, before the Empire.” Obi-wan explains but leia hasn't really been listening.
“How did my father die?”
“A young Jedi named Darth Vader, who was a pupil of mine until he turned to evil, helped the Empire hunt down and destroy the Jedi Knights. He betrayed and murdered your Anakin. Now the Jedi are all but extinct. Vader was seduced by the dark side of the Force.”
“The Force?”
“Well, the Force is what gives the Jedi his power. It's an energy field created by all living things. It surrounds us and penetrates us. It binds the galaxy together.” Artoo makes beeping sounds, gaining the attention of the man.
“Now, let's see if we can't figure out what you are, my little friend. And where you come from.”
“I saw part of the message he was…” Leia is cut short as the recorded image of the handsome young Rebel prince is projected from Artoo's face.
“I seem to have found it.” Leia stops her work as the lovely boy’s image flickers before her eyes and begins to speak.
“General Kenobi, years ago you served my father in the Clone Wars. Now he begs you to help him in his struggle against the Empire. I regret that I am unable to present my father's request to you in person, but my ship has fallen under attack and I'm afraid my mission to bring you to Alderaan has failed. I have placed information vital to the survival of the Rebellion into the memory systems of this R2 unit. My father will know how to retrieve it. You must see this droid safely delivered to him on Alderaan. This is our most desperate hour. Help me, Obi-Wan Kenobi, you're my only hope.”
There is a little static and the transmission is cut short. Ben leans back and scratches his head. He silently puffs on a tarnished chrome water pipe. Leia has stars in her eyes. “You must learn the ways of the Force if you're to come with me to Alderaan.” Leia turns to man and laughs in disbelief
“Alderaan? I'm not going to Alderaan. I've got to go home. It's late, I'm in for it as it is.”
“I need your help, Leia. I'm getting too old for this sort of thing. He needs your help.”
“I can't get involved! I've got work to do! It's not that I like the Empire. I hate it! But there's nothing I can do about it right now. It's such a long way from here.” Leia tries to explain helplessly “That's your uncle talking.” Leia sighs “Oh, God, my uncle. How am I ever going to explain this?”
BEN Learn about the Force, Luke.
LUKE Look, I can take you as far as Anchorhead. You can get a transport there to Mos Eisley or wherever you're going.
BEN You must do what you feel is right, of course.
--
An Imperial Star Destroyer heads toward the evil planet-like battle station: the Death Star inside eight Imperial senators and generals sit around a black conference table. Imperial stormtroopers stand guard around the room. Commander Tagge, a young, slimy-looking general, is speaking. “Until this battle station is fully operational we are vulnerable. The Rebel Alliance is too well equipped. They're more dangerous than you realize.” The bitter Admiral Motti twists nervously in his chair before replying.
“Dangerous to your starfleet, Commander; not to this battle station!”
“The Rebellion will continue to gain support in the Imperial Senate as long as....”
Suddenly all heads turn as Commander Tagge's speech is cut short and the Grand Moff Tarkin, governor of the Imperial outland regions, enters. He is followed by his powerful ally, The Sith Lord, Darth Vader. All of the generals stand and bow before the thin, evil-looking governor as he takes his place at the head of the table. The Dark Lord stands behind him as Tarkin begins to speak.
“The Imperial Senate will no longer be of any concern to us. I've just received word that the Emperor has dissolved the council permanently. The last remnants of the Old Republic have been swept away.” Tagge looks towards him in disbelief
“That's impossible! How will the Emperor maintain control without the bureaucracy?”
“The regional governors now have direct control over territories. Fear will keep the local systems in line. Fear of this battle station.”
“And what of the Rebellion? If the Rebels have obtained a complete technical readout of this station, it is possible, however unlikely, that they might find a weakness and exploit it.” Vader's haunting robotic voice replies
“The plans you refer to will soon be back in our hands.” Motti nods in agreement “Any attack made by the Rebels against this station would be a useless gesture, no matter what technical data they've obtained. This station is now the ultimate power in the universe. I suggest we use it!”
“Don't be too proud of this technological terror you've constructed. The ability to destroy a planet is insignificant next to the power of the Force.” Vader intercepts
“Don't try to frighten us with your sorcerer's ways, Lord Vader. Your sad devotion to that ancient religion has not helped you conjure up the stolen data tapes, or given you clairvoyance enough to find the Rebel's hidden fort…” Suddenly Motti chokes and starts to turn blue under Vader's spell. “I find your lack of faith disturbing.” Tarkin interrupts this act “Enough of this! Vader, release him!”
“As you wish.”
“This bickering is pointless. Lord Vader will provide us with the location of the Rebel fortress by the time this station is operational. We will then crush the Rebellion with one swift stroke.”
--
The speeder stops before what remains of the huge Jawas Sandcrawler. Leiaand Ben walk among the smoldering rubble and scattered bodies. “It looks like Sand People did this, all right. Look, here are gaffi sticks, bantha tracks. It's just... I never heard of them hitting anything this big before.” Leia rambles as ben is crouching in the sand studying the tracks.
They didn't. But we are meant to think they did. These tracks are side by side. Sand People always ride single file to hide there numbers.” He points out and Leia replies “These are the same Jawas that sold us Artoo and Threepio.”
“And these blast points, too accurate for Sand People. Only Imperial stormtroopers are so precise.”
“Why would Imperial troops want to slaughter Jawas?” Leia looks back at the speeder where Artoo and Threepio are inspecting the dead Jawas, and put two and two together. “If they traced the robots here, they may have learned who they sold them to. And that would lead them back home!” Leia reaches a sudden horrible realization, then races for the speeder and jumps in. “Wait, Leia! It's too dangerous.” Ben calls after her as Leia races off leaving Ben and the two robots alone with the burning Sandcrawler.
--
Leia races across the wasteland in her battered Landspeeder. The speeder roars up to the homestead. Leia jumps out and runs to the smoking holes that were once her home. Debris is scattered everywhere and it looks as if a great battle has taken place. “Uncle Owen! Aunt Beru! Uncle Owen!” Leia stumbles around in a daze looking for her aunt and uncle. Suddenly she comes upon their smoldering remains. She is stunned, and cannot speak. Hate replaces fear and a new resolve comes over her.
--
An Imperial TIE fighter races toward the Death Star. Two stormtroopers open an electronic cell door and allow several Imperial guards to enter. Prince Luke's face is filled with defiance, which slowly gives way to fear as a giant black torture robot enters, followed by Darth Vader. “And, now Your Highness, we will discuss the location of your hidden Rebel base.” The torture robot gives off a steady beeping sound as it approaches Prince Luke and extends one of its mechanical arms bearing a large hypodermic needle. The door slides shut and the long cell block hallway appears peaceful. The muffled screams of the Rebel prince are barely heard.
--
There is a large bonfire of Jawa bodies blazing in front of the sandcrawler as Ben and the robots finish burning the dead. Leia drives up in the speeder and Ben walks over to her. “There's nothing you could have done, Luke, had you been there. You'd have been killed, too, and the droids would now be in the hands of the Empire.”
“I want to come with you to Alderaan. There's nothing here for me now. I want to learn the ways of the Force and become a Jedi like my father.”
--
The Landspeeder with Leia, Artoo, Threepio, and Ben in it zooms across the desert. The speeder stops on a bluff overlooking the spaceport at Mos Eisley. It is a haphazard array of low, gray, concrete structures and semi-domes. A harsh gale blows across the stark canyon floor. Leia adjusts her goggles and walks to the edge of the craggy bluff where Ben is standing. “Mos Eisley Spaceport. You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy. We must be cautious”. Ben looks over at Leia, who gives the Jedi a determined smile.
The speeder is stopped on a crowded street by several combat-hardened stormtroopers who look over the two robots. A Trooper questions Leia. “How long have you had these droids?”
“About three or four seasons.” she replies before Ben suddenly joins the interrogation
“They're for sale if you want them.” “Let me see your identification.” Leia becomes very nervous as she fumbles to find her ID while Ben speaks to the Trooper in a very controlled voice. “You don't need to see her identification.”
“We don't need to see her identification.”
“These are not the droids you're looking for.”
“These are not the droids we're looking for.”
“She can go about her business.”
“You can go about your business. Move along. Move along.”
The speeder pulls up in front of a rundown blockhouse cantina on the outskirts of the spaceport. Various strange forms of transport, including several unusual beasts of burden, are parked outside the bar. A Jawa runs up and begins to fondle the speeder. “I can't abide these Jawas. Disgusting creatures.” Threepio complains as Leias gets out of the speeder and he tries to shoo the Jawa away.
“Go on, go on. I can't understand how we got by those troopers. I thought we were dead.”
“The Force can have a strong influence on the weak-minded. You will find it a powerful ally.”
“Do you really think we're going to find a pilot here that'll take us to Alderaan?” Leia Wonders
“Well, most of the best freighter pilots can be found here. Only watch your step. This place can be a little rough.”
“I'm ready for anything.” she replies confidently as threepio wonders after the strong-willed girl “Come along, Artoo.”
The young adventurer and her two mechanical servants follow Ben Kenobi into the smoke-filled cantina. The murky, moldy den is filled with a startling array of weird and exotic alien creatures and monsters at the long metallic bar. At first the sight is horrifying. One-eyed, thousand-eyed, slimy, furry, scaly, tentacled, and clawed creatures huddle over drinks. Ben moves to an empty spot at the bar near a group of repulsive but human scum. A huge, rough-looking Bartender stops Leia and the robots.
“We don't serve their kind here!”
Leia still recovering from the shock of seeing so many outlandish creatures, doesn't quite catch the bartender's drift. “What?”
“Your droids. They'll have to wait outside. We don't want them here.” Leia looks at old Ben, who is busy talking to one of the Galactic pirates. She notices several of the gruesome creatures along the bar are giving her a very unfriendly glare. Leia pats Threepio on the shoulder.
“Listen, why don't you wait out by the speeder. We don't want any trouble.”
“I heartily agree with you ma’am.”
Notes:
i'm going to try to making all my chapters around 3000 words or longer from now on, i hope you have all enjoyed this fic so far and remember to leave kudos if you enjoy <3
Chapter 6: The Smuggler, The Wookie and The Escape from Tatooine
Chapter Text
Threepio and his stubby partner go outside and most of the creatures at the bar go back to their drinks. Ben is standing next to Chewbacca, an eight-foot-tall-savage-looking creature resembling a huge gray bushbaby monkey with fierce baboon-like fangs. His large blue eyes dominate a fur-covered face and soften his otherwise awesome appearance. Over his matted, furry body he wears two chrome bandoliers, and little else. He is a two-hundred-year-old Wookiee and a sight to behold.
Ben speaks to the Wookiee, pointing to Leia several times during his conversation and the huge creature suddenly lets out a horrifying laugh. Leia is more than a little bit disconcerted and pretends not to hear the conversation between Ben and the giant Wookiee. Leia is terrified but tries not to show it. She quietly sips her drink, looking over the crowd for a more sympathetic ear or whatever. A large, multiple-eyed Creature gives Leia a rough shove.
“Negola dewaghi wooldugger?!?”
The hideous freak is obviously drunk. Leia rolls her eyes and tries to ignore the creature and turns back on her drink. A short, grubby Human and an even smaller rodent-like beast join the belligerent monstrosity.
“He doesn't like you.”
“Thats a shame.” Leia shoots back.
“I don't like you either”
The big creature is getting agitated and yells out some unintelligible gibberish at the now rather nervous, young adventure and the human continues.
“Don't insult us. You just watch yourself. We're wanted men. I have the death sentence on twelve systems.”
“I'll be careful then.” Leia snarks at him and tries to turn around but is pulled back by the human.
“You'll be dead.”
The rodent lets out a loud grunt and everything at the bar moves away. Leia tries to remain cool but it isn't easy. His three adversaries ready their weapons. Old Ben moves in behind Leia and begins talking to the human.
“This little one isn't worth the effort. Come let me buy you something…”
A powerful blow from the unpleasant creature sends the young would-be Jedi sailing across the room, crashing through tables and breaking a large jug filled with a foul-looking liquid. With a blood-curdling shriek, the monster draws a wicked chrome laser pistol from his belt and levels it at old Ben. The bartender panics.
“No blasters! No blaster!”
With astounding agility old Ben's laser sword sparks to life and in a flash an arm lies on the floor. The rodent is cut in two and the giant multiple-eyed creature lies doubled, cut from chin to groin. Ben carefully and precisely turns off his laser sword and replaces it on his utility belt. Leia, shaking and totally amazed at the old man's abilities, attempts to stand. The entire fight lasted only a matter of seconds.
The cantina goes back to normal, although Ben is given a respectable amount of room at the bar. Leia, rubbing her bruised head, approaches the old man with new awe. Ben points to the Wookiee.
“This is Chewbacca. He's the first- mate on a ship that might suit our needs.”
- -
Threepio paces in front of the cantina as Artoo carries on an electronic conversation with another little red astro-droid. A creature comes out of the cantina and approaches two stormtroopers in the street. “ I don't like the look of this.”
- -
Strange creatures play exotic big band music on odd-looking instruments as Leia, still giddy, downs a fresh drink and follows Ben and Chewbacca to a booth where Han Solo is sitting. Han is a handsome, tough, roguish starpilot about thirty years old. A mercenary on a starship, he is simple, sentimental, and cocksure.
“Han Solo. I'm captain of the Millennium Falcon. Chewie here tells me you're looking for passage to the Alderaan system.”
“Yes, indeed. If it's a fast ship.” Ben inquires
“Fast ship? You've never heard of the Millennium Falcon?”
“Should I have?”
“It's the ship that made the Kessel run in less than twelve parsecs!”
Ben reacts to Solo's stupid attempt to impress them with obvious misinformation as Han continues. “I've outrun Imperial starships, not the local bulk-cruisers, mind you. I'm talking about the big Corellian ships now. She's fast enough for you, old man. What's the cargo?”
“Only passengers. Myself, the girl, two droids, and no questions asked.”
“What is it? Some kind of local trouble?”
“That sounds like a question” Leia snaps becoming annoyed with the smuggler but Ben puts a hand up to stop her.
“Let's just say we'd like to avoid any Imperial entanglements.”
“Well, that's the real trick, isn't it? And it's going to cost you something extra. Ten thousand in advance.”
“Ten thousand? We could almost buy our own ship for that!”
“But who's going to fly it, kid! You?” Han raises his eyebrows at the girl
“You bet I could. I'm not such a bad pilot myself! Ben we don't have to sit here and listen…”
“We don't have that much with us. But we could pay you two thousand now, plus fifteen when we reach Alderaan.” Ben intercepts
“Seventeen, huh!” Han ponders this for a few moments. “Okay. You guys got yourself a ship. We'll leave as soon as you're ready. Docking bay Ninety-four.”
“Ninety-four.” Ben nods
“Looks like somebody's beginning to take an interest in your handiwork.” Ben and Luke turn around to see four Imperial stormtroopers looking at the dead bodies and asking the bartenders some questions. The bartender points to the booth.
“All right, we'll check it out.” The stormtroopers reassure as they look over at the booth but Leia and Ben are gone. The bartender shrugs his shoulders in puzzlement. “Seventeen thousand! Those guys must really be desperate. This could really save my neck. Get back to the ship and get her ready.” Han orders Chewbacca
- -
“You'll have to sell your speeder.”
“That's okay. I'm never coming back to this planet again.” She replies with a tone close to mourning
- -
As Han is about to leave, Greedo, a slimy green-faced alien with a short trunknose, pokes a gun in his side. The creature speaks in a foreign tongue.
“Going somewhere, Solo?”
“Yes, Greedo. As a matter of fact, I was just going to see your boss. Tell Jabba that I've got his money.” Han sits down and the alien sits across from him holding the gun on him.
“It's too late. You should have paid him when you had the chance. Jabba's put a price on your head, so large that every bounty hunter in the galaxy will be looking for you. I'm lucky I found you first.”
“Yeah, but this time I got the money.”
“If you give it to me, I might forget I found you.”
“I don't have it with me. Tell Jabba…”
Greddo cuts him off “Jabba's through with you. He has no time for smugglers who drop their shipments at the first sign of an Imperial cruiser.”
“Even I get boarded sometimes. Do you think I had a choice?” Han Solo slowly reaches for his gun under the table.
“You can tell that to Jabba. He may only take your ship.”
“Over my dead body.”
“That's the idea I've been looking forward to killing you for a long time.”
“Yes, I'll bet you have.”
Suddenly the slimy alien disappears in a blinding flash of light. Han pulls his smoking gun from beneath the table as the other patrons look on in bemused amazement. Han gets up and starts out of the cantina, flipping the bartender some coins as he leaves.
“Sorry about the mess.”
- -
Several TIE fighters approach the Death Star. “His resistance to the mind probe is considerable. It will be some time before we can extract any information from her.” An Imperial Officer interrupts the meeting.
“The final check-out is complete. All systems are operational. What course shall we set?” an imperial officer questions him
“Perhaps he would respond to an alternative form of persuasion.” Tarkin says to Vader
“What do you mean?”
“I think it is time we demonstrate the full power of this station.” he then turns to the officer “Set your course for Prince Luke's home planet of Alderaan.”
“With pleasure.”
- -
Four heavily-armed stormtroopers move menacingly along a narrow slum alleyway crowed with darkly clad creatures hawking exotic goods in the dingy little stalls. Men, monsters, and robots crouch in the waste-filled doorways, whispering and hiding from the hot winds. Threepio and Artoo stood in one of the doorways.
“Lock the door, Artoo.” One of the troopers checks a tightly locked door and moves on down the alleyway. The door slides open a crack and Threepio peeks out. Artoo is barely visible in the background.
“All right, check that side of the street. It's secure. Move on to the next door.“ The trooper leaves. The door opens, Threepio moves into the doorway.
“I would much rather have gone with Master Luke than stay here with you. I don't know what all this trouble is about, but I'm sure it must be your fault.” Artoo makes beeping sounds.
“You watch your language!”
- -
Ben and Leia are standing in a sleazy used speeder lot, talking with a tall, grotesque, insect-like used speeder dealer. Strange exotic bodies and spindlylegged beasts pass by as the insect concludes the sale by giving Leia some coins.
“He says it's the best he can do. Since the XP-38 came out, they just are not in demand.”
“It will be enough.”
Ben and Leia leave the speeder lot and walk down the dusty alleyway past a small robot herding a bunch of anteater-like creatures. Leia turns and gives one last forlorn look at her faithful speeder as she rounds a corner. A darkly clad creature moves out of the shadows as they pass and watches them as they disappear down another alley.
“If the ship's as fast as he's boasting, we ought to do well.”
- -
Jabba the Hutt and a half-dozen grisly alien pirates and purple creatures stand in the middle of the docking bay. Jabba is the grossest of the slavering hulks and his scarred face is a grim testimonial to his prowess as a vicious killer. He is a fat, slug-like creature with eyes on extended feelers and a huge ugly mouth.
“Come on out, Solo!”
A voice from directly behind the pirates startles them and they turn around to see Han Solo and the giant Wookiee, Chewbacca, standing behind them with no weapons in sight.
“I've been waiting for you, Jabba.”
“I expected you would be.”
“I'm not the type to run.”
“Han, my boy, there are times when you disappoint me... why haven't you paid me? And why did you have to fry poor Greedo like that... after all we've been through together.” Jabba tells Han in a disciplinary tone
“You sent Greedo to blast me.” he shoots back
“Han, why you're the best smuggler in the business. You're too valuable to fry. He was only relaying my concern at your delays. He wasn't going to blast you.”
“I think he thought he was. Next time don't send one of those twerps. If you've got something to say to me, come see me yourself.”
“Han, Han! If only you hadn't had to dump that shipment of spice... you understand I just can't make an exception. Where would I be if every pilot who smuggled for me dumped their shipment at the first sign of an Imperial starship? It's not good business.”
“You know, even I get boarded sometimes, Jabba. I had no choice, but I've got a charter now and I can pay you back, plus a little extra. I just need some more time.”
“Put your blasters away.” Jabba commands his men before turning back to han “Han, my boy, I'm only doing this because you're the best and I need you. So, for an extra, say... twenty percent I'll give you a little more time... but this is it. If you disappoint me again, I'll put a price on your head so large you won't be able to go near a civilized system for the rest of your short life. “
“Jabba, I'll pay you because it's my pleasure.”
- -
Chewbacca waits restlessly at the entrance to Docking Bay 94. Ben, Leia, and the robots make their way up the street. Chewbacca jabbers excitedly and signals for them to hurry. The darkly clad creature has followed them from the speeder lot. He stops in a nearby doorway and speaks into a small transmitter. Chewbacca leads the group into a giant dirt pit that is Docking Bay 94. Resting in the middle of the huge hole is a large, round, beat-up, pieced-together hunk of junk that could only loosely be called a starship.
“What a piece of junk.” The tall figure of Han Solo comes down the boarding ramp.
“he'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.” Leia rolls her eyes. It's obvious she isn't sure about all this. Chewbacca rushes up the ramp and urges the others to follow.
“We're a little rushed, so if you'll hurry aboard we'll get out of here.” The group rushes up the gang plank, passing a grinning Han Solo.
Chewbacca settles into the pilot's chair and starts the mighty engines of the starship. Leia, Ben, Threepio, and Artoo move toward the Millennium Falcon passing Solo.
“Hello, sir.” Threepio greets before scurrying aboard the ship
Eight Imperial stormtroopers rush up to the darkly clad creature.
“Which way?”
The darkly clad creature points to the door of the docking bay.
“All right, men. Load your weapons!” The troops hold their guns at the ready and charge down the docking bay entrance.
“Stop that ship!”
Han Solo looks up and sees the Imperial stormtroopers rushing into the docking bay. Several of the troopers fire at Han as he ducks into the spaceship.
“Blast 'em! “ The Trooper commands
Han draws his laser pistol and pops off a couple of shots which force the stormtroopers to dive for safety. The pirateship engines whine as Han hits the release button that slams the overhead entry shut.
“Chewie, get us out of here! “
The group straps in for take off.
“Oh, my. I'd forgotten how much I hate space travel.” Threepio complains as they take off.
The half-dozen stormtroopers at a check point hear the general alarm and look to the sky as the huge starship rises above the dingy slum dwellings and quickly disappears into the morning sky.
Han climbs into the pilot's chair next to Chewbacca, who chatters away as he points to something on the radar scope. The Corellian pirateship zooms from Tatooine into space. Han frantically types information into the ship's computer. Little Artoo appears momentarily at the cockpit doorway, makes a few beeping remarks, then scurries 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 pirateship races away from the yellow planet. It is followed by two huge Imperial Star Destroyers. Over the shoulders of Chewbacca and Han, we can see the galaxy spread before them. Leia and Ben make their way into the cramped cockpit where Han continues his calculation.
“Stay sharp! There are two more coming in; they're going to try to cut us off.”
“Why don't you outrun them? I thought you said this thing was fast” Leia snarks at Han
“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 fire at the pirateship. The ship shudders as an explosion flashes outside the window.
“Here's where the fun begins!” Han exclaims excitedly before ben steps next to him
“How long before you can make the jump to light speed?”
“It'll take a few moments to get the coordinates from the navi- computer.” The ship begins to rock violently as lasers hit it.
“Are you kidding? At the rate they're gaining... “ Leia complains
“Traveling through hyperspace isn't like dusting crops, missy! 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?”
The ship is now constantly battered with laserfire as a red warning light begins to flash. “What's that flashing?”
“We're losing our deflector shield. Go strap yourself in, I'm going to make the jump to light speed.”
The galaxy brightens and they move faster, almost as if crashing a barrier. Stars become streaks as the pirateship makes the jump to hyperspace. The Millennium Falcon zooms into infinity in less than a second.
- -
Alderaan looms behind the Death Star battlestation.
Admiral Motti enters the quiet control room and bows before Governor Tarkin, who stands before the huge wall screen displaying a small green planet and begins to speak to him
“We've entered the Alderaan system.”
Vader and two stormtroopers enter with Prince Luke. His hands are 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.”
“Charming to the last. You don't know how hard I found it signing the order to terminate your life!” Tarkin shoots back standing in front of the young prince
“I'm surprised you had the courage to take the responsibility yourself!”
“Prince Luke, 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.”
“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... “ Luke exclaims before being cut off by Tarkin
“You would prefer another target? A military target? Then name the system!” Tarkin waves menacingly toward Luke.
“I grow tired of asking this. So it'll be the last time. Where is the Rebel base?” Luke overhears an intercom voice announcing the approach to Alderaan.
“Dantooine.” Luke admits softly before he lowers his head. “They're on Dantooine”
“There. You see Lord Vader, she can be reasonable.” Tarkin says before addressing Motti “Continue with the operation. You may fire when ready. “
“What?” Luke's head shoots up
“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!”
“Commence primary ignition.” A button is pressed which switches on a panel of lights. A hooded Imperial soldier reaches overhead and pulls a lever. Another lever is pulled. Vader reaches for still another lever and a bank of lights on a panel and wall light up. A huge beam of light emanates from within a cone-shaped area and converges into a single laser beam out toward Alderaan. The small green planet of Alderaan is blown into space dust.
- -
Ben watches Leia practice the lightsaber with a small "seeker" robot. Ben suddenly turns away and sits down. He falters, seems almost faint.
“Are you all right? What's wrong?”
“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 rubs his forehead. He seems to drift into a trance. Then he fixes his gaze on Leia.
“You'd better get on with your exercises.” Han Solo enters the room.
“Well, you can forget your troubles with those Imperial slugs. I told you I'd outrun 'em.” Han boasts as Leia is once again practicing with the lightsaber.
“Don't everyone thank me at once.” Threepio watches Chewbacca and Artoo who are engrossed in a game in which three-dimensional holographic figures move along a chess-type board.
“Anyway, we should be at Alderaan for about oh-two-hundred hours.” Chewbacca and the two robots sit around the lighted table covered with small holographic monsters. Each side of the table has a small computer monitor embedded in it. Chewbacca seems very pleased with himself as he rests his lanky fur-covered arms over his head.
“Now be careful, Artoo.” Artoo immediately reaches up and taps 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 begins yelling gibberish at the tiny robot. Threepio intercedes on behalf of his small companion and begins to argue with the huge Wookiee.
“He made a fair move. Screaming about it won't help you.” Threepio scolds
“Let him have it. It's not wise to upset a Wookiee.” Han interrupts
“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, Artoo. Let the Wookiee win.”
Luke stands in the middle of the small hold area; he seems frozen in place. A humming lightsaber is held high over his head. Ben watches him from the corner, studying his movements. Han watches with a bit of smugness.
“Remember, a Jedi can feel the Force flowing through him.”
LUKE You mean it controls your actions?
“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, hovers slowly in a wide arc. The ball floats to one side of the youth then to the other. Suddenly it makes a lightning-swift lunge and stops within a few feet of Luke's face. Luke doesn't move and the ball backs off. It slowly moves behind the boy, then makes another quick lunge, this time emitting a blood red laser beam as it attacks. It hits Luke in the leg causing him to tumble over. Han lets loose with a burst of laughter.
“Hokey religions and ancient weapons are no match for a good blaster at your side, kid.”
“You don't believe in the Force, do you?”
“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 smiles quietly
“It's all a lot of simple tricks and nonsense.”
“I suggest you try it again, Luke.” Ben places a large helmet on Luke's head which covers 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?”
“Your eyes can deceive you. Don't trust them.” Han skeptically shakes his head as Ben throws the seeker into the air. The ball shoots straight up in the air, then drops like a rock. Luke swings the lightsaber around blindly missing the seeker, which fires off a laserbolt which hits Luke square on the seat of the pants. He lets out a painful yell and attempts to hit the seeker.
“ Stretch out with your feelings.” Luke stands in one place, seemingly frozen. The seeker makes a dive at Luke and, incredibly, he managed to deflect the bolt. The ball ceases fire and moves back to its original position.
“You see, you can do it.”
“I call it luck.”
“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 notices a small light flashing on the far side of the control panel.
“Looks like we're coming up on Alderaan.” Han and Chewbacca head back to the cockpit.
“You know, I did feel something. I could almost see the remote.”
“That's good. You have taken your first step into a larger world.”
- -
Imperial Officer Cass stands before Governor Tarkin and the evil Dark Lord Darth Vader.
“Yes?.”
“Our scout ships have reached Dantooine. They found the remains of a Rebel base, but they estimate that it has been deserted for some time. They are now conducting an extensive search of the surrounding systems.”
“She lied! She lied to us! “
“I told you she would never consciously betray the Rebellion.” Vaders voice rang out
“Terminate her... immediately!”
Chapter 7: The Prince Of Alderaan and The Near Death Experience
Chapter Text
The pirateship is just coming out of hyperspace; a strange surreal light show surrounds the ship. “Stand by, Chewie, here we go. Cut in the sublight engines.” Han pulls back on a control lever. Outside the cockpit window stars begin streaking past, seem to decrease in speed, then stop. Suddenly the starship begins to shudder and violently shake about. Asteroids begin 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.”
The Wookiee flips off several controls and seems very cool in the emergency. Leia makes her way into the striding cockpit. “What's going on?”
“Our position is correct, except... no, Alderaan!”
“What do you mean? Where is it?”
“Thats what I'm trying to tell you, kid. It ain't there. It's been totally blown away.”
“What? How” Ben moves into the cockpit behind Leia as the ship begins to settle down. “Destroyed... by the Empire!”
“The entire starfleet couldn't destroy the whole planet. It'd take a thousand ships with more fire power than I've…” Han said before something caught his eye.
A signal light starts flashing on the control panel and a muffled alarm starts humming. “There's another ship coming in.”
“Maybe they know what happened. “
“It's an Imperial fighter.” Ben replies
Chewbacca barks his concern. A huge explosion bursts outside the cockpit window, shaking the ship violently. A tiny, finned Imperial fighter races past the cockpit window. “It followed us!” leia accused before ben corrected her
“No. It's a short range fighter.”
“There aren't any bases around here. Where did it come from?”
The fighter races past the Corellian ship.
“It sure is leaving in a big hurry. If they identify us, we're in big trouble.”
“Not if I can help it. Chewie... jam it's transmissions.”
“It'd be as well to let it go. It's too far out of range.” Ben spoke from behind Han
“Not for long…”
The pirate ship zooms over the camera and away into the vastness of space after the Imperial fighter.The tension mounts as the pirateship gains on the tiny fighter. In the distance, one of the stars becomes brighter until it is obvious that the ship is heading for it. Ben stands behind Chewbacca.
“A fighter that size couldn't get this deep into space on its own”
“Then he must have gotten lost, been part of a convoy or something…” Leia nervously inputted before Han continued
“Well, he ain't going to be around long enough to tell anyone about us.”
“The fighter is losing ground to the larger pirate ship as they race toward the camera and disappear overhead. The distant star can be distinguished as a small moon or planet.
“Look at him. He's heading for that small moon.”
“I think I can get him before he gets there... he's almost in range.”
The small moon begins to take on the appearance of a monstrous spherical battle station.
“That's no moon! It's a space station.” Ben calmly informs them.
“It's too big to be a space station.” Han argued
“I have a very bad feeling about this.”
“Turn the ship around!
“Yeah, I think your right old man. Full reverse! Chewie, lock in the auxiliary power.” The pirateship shudders and the fighter accelerates away toward the gargantuan battle station.
“Why are we still moving towards it?” Leia barks at han
“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 puts a hand on his shoulder.
“You can't win. But there are alternatives to fighting.”
- -
As the battered pirate starship is towed closer to the awesome metal moon, the immense size of the massive battle station becomes staggering. Running along the equator of the gigantic sphere is a mile-high band of huge docking ports into which the helpless pirate ship is dragged.
The helpless Millennium Falcon is pulled past a docking port control room and huge laser turret cannons.
“Clear Bay twenty-three-seven. We are opening the magnetic field.” A voice over the intercom called
The pirate ship is pulled in through port doors of the Death Star, coming to rest in a huge hangar. Thirty stormtroopers stand at attention in a central assembly area.
“To your stations!”
“Come with me” Officers raced through the hallways barking orders
Stormtroopers run to their posts. A line of stormtroopers march toward the pirate ship in readiness to board it, while other troopers stand with weapons ready to fire.
“Close all outboard shields! Close all outboard shields!”
Tarkin pushes a button and responds to the intercom buzz.
“Yes.?”
“We've captured a freighter entering the remains of the Alderaan system. It's markings match those of a ship that blasted its way out of Mos Eisley.”
“They must be trying to return the stolen plans to the prince. He may yet be of some use to us.”
Vader and a commander approach the troops as an Officer and several heavily armed troops exit the spacecraft.
“Unlock one-five-seven and nine. Release charges.” came over the intercom
“There's no one on board, sir. According to the log, the crew abandoned ship right after takeoff. It must be a decoy, sir. Several of the escape pods have been jettisoned.”
“Did you find any droids? “
“No, sir. If there were any on board, they must also have jettisoned.”
“Send a scanning crew on board. I want every part of this ship checked.”
“Yes, sir.”
“I sense something... a presence I haven't felt since... “
Vader turns quickly and exits the hangar.
“Get me a scanning crew in here on the double. I want every part of this ship checked!”
- -
A trooper runs through the hallway heading for the exit. In a few moments all is quiet. The muffled sounds of a distant officer giving orders finally fade. Two floor panels suddenly pop up revealing Han Solo and Leia. Ben Kenobi sticks his head out of a third locker.
“Boy, it's lucky you had these compartments.”
“ I use them for smuggling. I never thought I'd be smuggling myself in them. This is ridiculous. Even if I could take off, I'd never get past the tractor beam.”
“Leave that to me!” Ben climbs out of the compartment
“Damn fool. I knew that you were going to say that!”
“Who's the more foolish... the fool or the fool who follows him?”
Han shakes his head, muttering to himself. Chewbacca agrees. The crewmen carry a heavy box on board the ship, past the two stormtroopers guarding either side of the ramp.
“The ship's all yours. If the scanners pick up anything, report it immediately. All right, let's go.” a trooper commands
The crewmen enter the pirate ship and a loud crashing sound is followed by a voice calling to the guard below.
“Hey down there, could you give us a hand with this?” Han calls as the stormtroopers enter the ship and a quick round of gunfire is heard. In a very small command office near the entrance to the pirateship, a Gantry Officer looks out his window and notices the guards are missing. He speaks into the comlink.
“TX-four-one-two. Why aren't you at your post? TX-four-one-two, do you copy? A stormtrooper comes down the ramp of the pirate ship and waves to the gantry officer, pointing to his ear, indicating his comlink is not working. The gantry officer shakes his head in disgust and heads for the door, giving his aide an annoyed look.
“Take over. We've got a bad transmitter. I'll see what I can do.” As the officer approaches the door, it slides open revealing the towering Chewbacca. The gantry officer, in a momentary state of shock, stumbles backward. With a bone-chilling howl, the giant Wookiee flattens the officer with one blow. The aide immediately reaches for his pistol, but is blasted by Han, dressed as an Imperial stormtrooper. Ben and the robots enter the room quickly followed by Leia, also dressed as a stormtrooper. Leia quickly removes her helmet.
“You know, between his howling and your blasting everything in sight, it's a wonder the whole station doesn't know we're here.” Leia snarks to Han who takes his helmet off
“Bring them on! I prefer a straight fight to all this sneaking around.”
“We found the computer outlet, sir.” threepio informs the group
Ben feeds some information into the computer and a map of the city appears on the monitor. He begins to inspect it carefully. Threepio and Artoo look over the control panel. Artoo finds something that makes him whistle wildly.
“Plug in. He should be able to interpret the entire Imperial computer network.”
Artoo punches his claw arm into the computer socket and the vast Imperial brain network comes to life, feeding information to the little robot. After a few moments, he beeps something.
“He says he's found the main control to the power beam that's holding the ship here. He'll try to make the precise location appear on the monitor.”
The computer monitor flashes readouts. “The tractor beam is coupled to the main reactor in seven locations. A power loss at one of the terminals will allow the ship to leave. Ben studies the data on the monitor readout.”
“I don't think you boys can help. I must go alone.”
“Whatever you say. I've done more than I bargained for on this trip already. “
“I want to go with you.” Leia argues
“Be patient, Leia. Stay and watch over the droids.”
“But he can…”
“They must be delivered safely or other star systems will suffer the same fate as Alderaan. Your destiny lies along a different path from mine. The Force will be with you ... always!” Ben adjusts the lightsaber on his belt and silently steps out of the command office, then disappears down a long gray hallway. Chewbacca barks a comment and Han shakes his head in agreement.
“Boy you said it, Chewie.” Han looks at Leia.
“Where did you dig up that old fossil?”
“Ben is a great man.”
“Yeah, great at getting us into trouble.”
“I didn't hear you give any ideas…”
“Well, anything would be better than just hanging around waiting for them to pick us up…”
“Who do you think…” Suddenly Artoo begins to whistle and beep a blue streak. Leia goes over to him.
“What is it?”
“I'm afraid I'm not quite sure, sir. He says ‘I found him,’”and keeps repeating, "He's here."
“Well, who... who has he found?” Artoo whistles a frantic reply.
“Prince Luke.”
“The prince he's here? “
“Prince?” Han askes despite being blatantly ignored
“Where... where is he?”
“Prince? What's going on?” he was ignored again
“Level five. Detention block AA- twenty-three. I'm afraid she's scheduled to be terminated.”
“Oh, no! We've got to do something.”
“What are you talking about?”
“The droid belongs to him. He's the one in the message. We've got to help him.”
“Now, look, don't get any funny ideas. The old man wants us to wait right here.”
“But he didn't know he was here. Anyway I thought the big bad smuggler didn't care what the old man said. Look, will you just find a way back into the detention block?”
“You start watching what you say I'm not going anywhere.
“They're going to execute him. Look, a few minutes ago you said you didn't want to just wait here to be captured. Now all you want to do is stay.”
“Marching into the detention area is not what I had in mind.” Han argues back
“But they're going to kill him!”
“Better him than me... “
“He's rich. And possibly even quite attractive” Chewbacca growls.
“Rich and attractive?”
“Yes. Rich, powerful! Whatever words you want to use, Listen, if you were to rescue her, the reward would be…”
“What?”
“Well more wealth that you can imagine.”
“I don't know, I can imagine quite a bit!”
“You'll get it! “
“I better!”
“You will…”
“All right, kid. But you'd better be right about this!” Han looks at Chewie, who grunts a short grunt.
“All right.”
“What's your plan?”
“Uh... Threepio, hand me those binders there will you?” Luke moves toward Chewbacca with electronic cuffs. “Okay. Now, I'm going to put these on you.” Chewie lets out a hideous growl. “Okay fine. Han, you put these on.” Leia angrily hands the binders to Han.
“Don't worry, Chewie. I think I know what he has in mind.” The Wookiee has a worried and frightened look on his face as Han binds him with the electronic cuffs.
“Mistress Leia, miss! Pardon me for asking... but, ah... what should Artoo and I do if we're discovered here?”
“Lock the door!”
“And hope they don't have blasters.”
“That isn't very reassuring.” Leia and Han put on their armored stormtrooper helmets and start off into the giant Imperial Death Star.
Han and Leia try to look inconspicuous in their armored suits as they wait for a vacuum elevator to arrive. Troops, bureaucrats, and robots bustle about, ignoring the trio completely. Only a few give the giant Wookiee a curious glance. Finally a small elevator arrives and the trio enters.
“I can't see a thing in this helmet.” Leia complains as a bureaucrat races to get aboard also, but is signaled away by Han. The door to the pod-like vehicle slides closed and the elevator car takes off through a vacuum tube.
Several Imperial officers walk through the wide main passageway. They pass several stormtroopers and a robot similar to Threepio but with an insect face. At the far end of the hallway, a passing flash of Ben Kenobi appears, then disappears down a small hallway. His appearance is so fleeting that it is hard to tell if he is real or just an illusion. No one in the hallway seems to notice him.
Leia and Han step forward to exit the elevator, but the door slides open behind them. The giant Wookiee and his two guards enter the old gray security station. Guards and laser gates are everywhere. Han whispers to Leia under his breath.
“This is not going to work.”
“Why didn't you say so before?”
“I did say so before!”
Elevator doors open. A tall, grim looking Officer approaches the trio.
“Where are you taking this... thing?” Chewie growls a bit at the remark but Han nudges him to shut up.
“Prisoner transfer from Block one- one-three-eight.” Leia says trying to deepen her voice
“i wasn't notified. I'll have to clear it.” The officer goes back to his console and begins to punch in the information. There are only three other troopers in the area. Leia and Han survey the situation, checking all of the alarms, laser gates, and camera eyes. Han unfastens one of Chewbacca's electronic cuffs and shrugs to Leia. Suddenly Chewbacca throws up his hands and lets out with one of his ear-piercing howls. He grabs Han's laser rifle.
“Look out! He's loose!”
“He's going to pull us all apart.”
“Go get him!” The startled guards are momentarily dumbfounded. Leia and Han have already pulled out their laser pistols and are blasting away at the terrifying Wookiee. Their barrage of laserfire misses Chewbacca, but hits the camera eyes, laser gate controls, and the Imperial guards. The officer is the last of the guards to fall under the laserfire just as he is about to push the alarm system. Han rushes to the comlink system, which is screeching questions about what is going on. He quickly checks the computer readout.
“We've got to find out which cell this prince of yours is in. Here it is... cell twenty-one- eight-seven. You go get him. I'll hold them here.” Luke races down one of the cell corridors. Han speaks into the buzzing comlink.
“Everything is under control. Situation normal.”
“What happened?”
“Uh... had a slight weapons malfunction. But, uh, everything's perfectly all right now. We're fine. We're all fine here, now, thank you. How are you?”
“We're sending a squad up.”
“Uh, uh, negative, negative. We had a reactor leak here now. Give us a few minutes to lock it down. Large leak... very dangerous.”
“Who is this? What's your operating number?” Han blasts the comlink and it explodes.
“Boring conversation anyway.” he mutters before shouting down the hallway “Leia! We're going to have company!”
Leia stops in front of one of the cells and blasts the door away with her laser pistol. When the smoke clears, Leia sees the dazzling young prince-senator. He had been sleeping and is now looking at him with an uncomprehending look on his face. Leia is stunned by his incredible attractiveness and stands staring at him with her mouth hanging open.
“Aren't you a little short for a stormtrooper?” Leia takes off his helmet, coming out of it.
“What? Oh... the uniform. I'm Leia Skywalker. I'm here to rescue you.”
“Skywalker?”
“I'm here to rescue you. I've got your R2 unit. I'm here with Ben Kenobi”
“Ben Kenobi is here! Where is he?”
“Come on!” Leia rushed
- -
Darth Vader paces the room as Governor Tarkin sits at the far end of the conference table.
“He is here…” Vader breathes out
“Obi-Wan Kenobi? What makes you think so?”
“A tremor in the Force. The last time I felt it was in the presence of my old master.”
“Surely he must be dead by now.”
“Don't underestimate the Force.”
“The Jedi are extinct, their fire has gone out of the universe. You, my friend, are all that's left of their religion.” There is a quiet buzz on the comlink.
“Yes.?” Tarkin answers
“Governor Tarkin, we have an emergency alert in detention block AA-twenty-three.”
“The princess! Put all sections on alert!” Tarkin orders through the comlink
“Obi-Wan is here. The Force is with him.”
“If you're right, he must not be allowed to escape.”
“Escape may not be his plan. I must face him alone.”
- -
An ominous buzzing sound is heard on the other side of the elevator door.
“Chewie!” Han calls as Chewbacca responds with a growling noise.
“Get behind me! Get behind me!” han orders
A series of explosions knock a hole in the elevator door through which several Imperial troops begin to emerge. Han and Chewie fire their laser pistols at them through the smoke and flames. They turn and run down the cell hallway, meeting up with Luke and Leia rushing toward them.
“Can't get out that way.” Han informs them as they meet
“Looks like you managed to cut off our only escape route.” Leia snarks as the prince stands behind her.
“Thank you for the helpful observation Leia.” Han shoots back only to be ignores as leia takes a small comlink transmitter from her belt as they continue to exchange fire with stormtroopers making their way down the corridor.
“See-Threepio! See-Threepio!”
“Yes miss?” Threepio's voice crackled through the comlink
“We've been cut off! Are there any other ways out of the cell bay?... What was that? I didn't copy!”
Threepio paces the control center as little Artoo beeps and whistles a blue streak. Threepio yells into the small comlink transmitter.
“I said, all systems have been alerted to your presence, miss. The main entrance seems to be the only way out; all other information on your level is restricted.” Someone begins banging on the door next to threepio and Artoo
“Open up in there!” a stormtrooper calls through the door
“Oh, no!”
- -
Luke and Leia crouch together in an alcove for protection as they continue to exchange fire with troops. Han and Chewbacca are barely able to keep the stormtroopers at bay at the far and of the hallway. The laserfire is very intense, and smoke fills the narrow cell corridor.
“There isn't any other way out.” Leia murmured
“I can't hold them off forever! Now what?” Han replied
“When you came in here, didn't you have a plan for getting out?” luke asked from behind leia
“She's the brains, sweetheart.” han points to leia who manages a sheepish grin and shrugs her shoulders.
“Well, I didn't…”
The prince grabs Leia's gun and fires at a small grate in the wall next to Han, almost frying him.
“What the hell are you doing?” Han exclaimed flinching out of the way of the shot
“Sorry! Somebody has to save our skins. Into the garbage chute” He jumps through the narrow opening as Han and Chewbacca look on in amazement. Chewbacca sniffs the garbage chute and says something.
“Get in there you big furry oaf! I don't care what you smell! Get in there and don't worry about it.” Han gives him a big kick and the Wookiee disappears into the tiny opening. Leia and Han continue firing as they work their way toward the opening.
“Wonderful man! Either I'm going to kill him or I'm really beginning to like him. Get in there!” Leia ducks laserfire as she jumps into the darkness. Han fires off a couple of quick blasts creating a smoky cover, then slides into the chute himself and is gone.
- -
Han tumbles into a large room filled with garbage and muck. Leia is already stumbling around looking for an exit. She finds a small hatchway and struggles to get it open. It won't budge.
“Oh! The garbage chute was a really wonderful idea. What an incredible smell you've discovered! Let's get out of here! Get away from there…”
“No! Wait!” Luke shouts as Han draws his laser pistol and fires at the hatch. The laserbolt ricochets wildly around the small metal room. Everyone dives for cover in the garbage as the bolt explodes almost on top of them. Leia climbs out of the garbage with a rather grim look on her face.
“Will you forget it? I already tried it. It's magnetically sealed!” Leia shouts at him
“Put that thing away! You're going to get us all killed.” luke exclaimed to han at the same time.
“Absolutely, Your Worship. Look, I had everything under control until you led us down here. You know, it's not going to take them long to figure out what happened to us.”
“It could be worse…” Luke winces as a loud, horrible, inhuman moan works its way up from the murky depths. Chewbacca lets out a terrified howl and begins to back away. Han and Leia stand fast with their laser pistols drawn. The Wookiee is cowering near one of the walls.
“It's worse.” Han murmured as leia jumps
“There's something alive in here!”
“That's your imagination.” Han replies
“Something just moves past my leg! Look! Did you see that?”
“What?”
“Help!” Suddenly Leia is yanked under the garbage.
“Leia! Leia! Leia!” Solo tries to get to Leia. Leia surfaces with a gasp of air and thrashing of limbs. A membrane tentacle is wrapped around her throat.
“Leia” Luke extends a long pipe toward him.
“Leia, Leia, grab a hold of this” Luke tries to convince leia to grab the pipe
“Blast it, will you! My gun's jammed.” leia tries to grab the pipe
“Where?” Han points his gun towards her
“Anywhere! Oh!!” Han fires his gun downward. Leia is pulled back into the muck by the slimy tentacle.
“Leia! Leia!” Han shouts as suddenly the walls of the garbage receptacle shudder and move in a couple of inches. Then everything is deathly quiet. Han and Luke give each other a worried look as Chewbacca howls in the corner. With a rush of bubbles and muck Leia suddenly bobs to the surface.
“Grab him!” Leia seems to be released by the thing.
“What happened?” the creature disappears from view
“I don't know, it just let go of me and disappeared…”
“I've got a very bad feeling about this.” Before anyone can answer Han the walls begin to rumble and edge toward the Rebels.
“The walls are moving!” Leia scrambles up a pile of rubbish
“Don't just stand there. Try and brace it with something.” They place poles and long metal beams between the closing walls, but they are simply snapped and bent as the giant trashmasher rumbles on. The situation doesn't look too good.
“Wait a minute!” Leia pulls out her comlink.
“Threepio! Come in Threepio! Threepio! Where could he be?”
- -
A soft buzzer and the muted voice of Leia calling out for Threepio can be heard on Threepio's hand comlink, which is sitting on the deserted computer console. Artoo and Threepio are nowhere in sight. Suddenly there is a great explosion and the door of the control tower flies across the floor. Four armed stormtroopers enter the chamber.
“Take over! See to him! Look there!” A trooper pushes a button and the supply cabinet door slides open. See-Threepio and Artoo-Detoo are inside. Artoo follows his bronze companion out into the office.
“They're madmen! They're heading for the prison level. If you hurry, you might catch them.” Threepio rambles too the storm troopers
“Follow me! You stand guard”. The troops hustle off down the hallway, leaving a guard to watch over the command office.
“Come on!” Threepio says to artoo as the guard aims a blaster at them.
“Oh! All this excitement has overrun the circuits of my counterpart here. If you don't mind, I'd like to take him down to maintenance.”
“All right.” The guard nods and Threepio, with little Artoo in tow, hurries out the door.
- -
As the walls rumble closed, the room gets smaller and smaller. Chewie is whining and trying to hold a wall back with his giant paws. Han is leaning back against the other wall. Garbage is snapping and popping. Leia is trying to reach Threepio.
“Threepio! Come in, Threepio! Threepio!” Han and Luke try to brace the contracting walls with a pole. Luke begins to sink into the trash.
“Get to the top!” Han exclaims trying to help the boy up
“I can't!” Luke replies
“Where could he be? Threepio! Threepio, will you come in?”
- -
“They aren't here! Something must have happened to them. See if they've been captured.” Threepio orders as Little Artoo carefully plugs his claw arm into a new wall socket and a complex array of electronic sounds spew from the tiny robot.
“Hurry!”
- -
The walls are only feet apart. Luke and Han are braced against the walls. The prince is frightened. They look at each other. Luke reaches out and takes Han's hand and holds it tightly. He's terrified and suddenly groans as he feels the first crushing pressure against his body.
“One thing's for sure. We're all going to be a lot thinner!” He pulls luke closer to him trying to relieve the pressure from the prince before helping lift him to the top of the garbage “Get on top of it!”
“I'm trying!”
- -
“Thank goodness, they haven't found them! Where could they be?” Artoo frantically beeps something to Threepio.
“Use the comlink? Oh, my! I forgot I turned it off!”
- -
Meanwhile, Leia is lying on her side, trying to keep her head above the rising ooze. Leia’s comlink begins to buzz and she rips it off his belt.
- -
Muffled sounds of Leia's voice over the comlink can be heard, but not distinctly.
“Are you there, miss?”
“Threepio!” Leia's muffled voice is heard over the comlink
“We've had some problems…” threepio replies
“Shut down all the garbage mashers on the detention level, will you? Do you copy?”
“Shut down all the garbage mashers on the detention level”
"No. Shut them all down! Hurry!” Threepio holds his head in agony as he hears the incredible screaming and hollering from Luke's comlink.
“Listen to them! They're dying, Artoo! Curse my metal body! I wasn't fast enough. It's all my fault! My poor Mistress!”
“Threepio, we're all right!” Leia happily exclaims down the comlink
- -
The screaming and hollering is the sound of joyous relief. The walls have stopped moving. Han, Chewie and Luke embrace in the background.
“We're all right. You did great.” Leia moves to the pressure sensitive hatch, looking for a number.
“Hey... hey, open the pressure maintenance hatch on unit number ... where are we?”
- -
Threepio looks at the computer panel as Han reads the number.
“Three-two-six-eight-two-seven.” Han’s voice sounds throughout the comlink
- -
Obi-wan enters a humming service trench that powers the huge tractor beam. The trench seems to be a hundred miles deep. The clacking sound of a huge switching devices can be heard. The old Jedi edges his his way along a narrow ledge leading to a control panel that connects two large cables. He carefully makes several adjustments in the computer terminal, and several lights on the board go from red to blue.
- -
The group exits the garbage room into a dusty, unused hallway.
Chapter 8: The Death of Obi-Wan Kenobi and The 4th Moon of Yavin
Chapter Text
Han and Leia remove the trooper suits and strap on the blaster belts.
“If we can just avoid any more royal advice, we ought to be able to get
out of here.”
Leia smiles and scratches her head as she takes a blaster from Solo.
“Well, let's get moving!”
Chewie begins growling and points to the hatch to the garbage room, as he runs away and then stops howling.
“where are you going?” Han asks as the wookie runs off.
The Dia Nogu bangs against the hatch and a long, slimy tentacle works its way out of the doorway searching for a victim. Han aims his pistol.
“No, wait. They'll hear!” Luke tries to stop Han.
Han fires at the doorway. The noise of the blast echoes relentlessly throughout the empty passageway. Leia simply shakes her head in disgust.
“Come here, you big coward!” Han shouts at Chewie
Chewie shakes his head "no."
“Chewie! Come here!” Han tries as luke shakes his head
“Listen. I don't know who you are, or where you came from, but from now on, you do as I tell you. Okay?”
Han is stunned at the command of the smaller blonde boy.
“Look, Your Worshipfulness, let's get one thing straight! I take orders from one person! Me!” Han follows luke as the prince turns to walk away
“It's a wonder you're still alive! Will somebody get this big walking carpet out of my way?”
Han watches him start away. He looks at Leia.
“No reward is worth this.”
“They follow the prince, moving swiftly down the deserted corridor.”
-
Suddenly a door behind Ben slides open and a detachment of stormtroopers marches to the power trench. Ben instantly slips into the shadows as an Officer moves to within a few feet of him.
“Secure this area until the alert is canceled. Give me regular reports.”
All but two of the stormtroopers leave.
“Do you know what's going on?” the stormtrooper asks the other
“Maybe it's another drill?”
Ben moves around the tractor beam, watching the stormtroopers as they turn their backs to him. Ben gestures with his hand toward them, as the troops think they hear something in the
other hallway. With the help of the Force, Ben deftly slips past the troopers and into the main hallway.
“What was that?”
“Oh, it's nothing. Don't worry about it.”
-
Luke, Han, Chewbacca, and Leia run down an empty hallway and stop before a bay window overlooking the pirateship. Troopers are milling about the ship. Leia takes out her pocket comlink.
“There she is.” Han smiles looking at his ship as luke side-eyes him
“Threepio, do you copy?”
“For the moment. Uh, we're in the main hangar across from the ship.” Threepio's voice sounds through the comlink
“We're right above you. Stand by.”
Han is watching the dozen or so troops moving in and out of the pirateship. Luke moves towards Han, touches his arm and points out the window to the ship.
“You came in that thing? You're braver than I thought.” He half compliments
“Nice! Come on!”
Han gives him an odd look, and they start off down the hallway. They round a corner and run right into twenty Imperial stormtroopers heading toward them. Both groups are taken by surprise and stop in their tracks.
“It's them! Blast them!” a trooper orders
Before even thinking, Han draws his laser pistol and charges the troops, firing. His blaster knocks one of the stormtroopers into the air. Chewie follows his captain down the corridor, stepping over the fallen trooper on the floor.
“Get back to the ship!” He shouts to luke and leia
“Where are you going? Come back!” Leia replies but Han has already rounded a corner and does not hear.
“He certainly has courage.” Luke comments from beside leia
“What good will it do us if he gets himself killed? Come on!”
Leia is furious but doesn't have time to think about it for muted alarms begin to go off down on the hangar deck. Luke and Leia start off toward the starship hangar.
-
Han chases the stormtroopers down a long subhallway. He is yelling and brandishing his laser pistol. The troops reach a dead end and are forced to turn and fight. Han stops a few
feet from them and assumes a defensive position. The troops begin to raise their laser guns. Soon all ten troopers are moving into an attack position in front of the lone starpirate. Han's determined look begins to fade as the troops begin to advance. Solo jumps backward as they fire at him.
Chewbacca runs down the subhallway in a last-ditch attempt to save his bold captain. Suddenly he hears the firing of laser guns and yelling. Around the corner shoots Han, pirate
extraordinaire, running for his life, followed by a host of furious stormtroopers. Chewbacca turns and starts running the other way also.
-
Leia fires her laser pistol wildly as she and Luke rush down a narrow subhallway, chased by several stormtroopers. They quickly reach the end of the subhallway and race through an
open hatchway.
Luke and Leia race through the hatch onto a narrow bridge that spans a huge, deep shaft that seems to go into infinity. The bridge has been retracted into the wall of the shaft, and Leia almost rushes into the abyss. She loses her balance off the end of the bridge as Luke behind her, takes hold of her arm and pulls her back.
“I think we took a wrong turn.” Leia points out
Blasts from the stormtroopers' laser guns explode nearby reminding them of the oncoming danger. Leia fires back at the advancing troops. Luke reaches over and hits a switch that pops the hatch door shut with a resounding boom, leaving them precariously perched on a short piece of bridge overhang. Laserfire from the troopers continues to hit the steel door.
“There's no lock!” Luke worries
Leia blasts the controls with his laser pistol.
“That oughta hold it for a while.” Leia says a bit smugly
“Quick, we've got to get across. Find the control that extends the bridge.”
“Oh, I think I just blasted it.” Leia looks at the panel she just obliterated
Luke looks at the blasted bridge control while the stormtroopers on the opposite side of the door begin making ominous drilling and pounding sounds.
“They're coming through!” Luke shouts at distracted girl
Luke notices something on his stormtrooper belt, when laserfire hits the wall behind him. Luke aims his laser pistol at a stormtrooper perched on a higher bridge overhang across the abyss from them. They exchange fire. Two more troops appear on another overhang, also firing. A trooper is hit, and grabs at his chest.
Another trooper standing on the bridge overhang is hit by Luke's laserfire, and plummets down the shaft. Troopers move back off the bridge; Luke hands the gun to Leia.
“Here, hold this.”
Leia pulls a thin nylon cable from her trooper utility belt. It has a grappler hook on it. A trooper appears on a bridge overhang and fires at Luke and Leia. As Leia works with the
rope, Luke returns the laser volley. Another trooper appears and fires at them, as Luke returns his fire as well. Suddenly, the hatch door begins to open, revealing the feet of more troops.
“Here they come!”
Luke hits one of the stormtroopers on the bridge above, and he falls into the abyss. Leia tosses the rope across the gorge and it wraps itself around an outcropping of pipes. She
tugs on the rope to make sure it is secure, then grabs the prince in her arms. Luke looks at Leia, then kisses her quickly on the cheek. Leia is very surprised.
“For luck!”
Leia pushes off and they swing across the treacherous abyss to the corresponding hatchway on the opposite side. Just as Luke and Leia reach the far side of the canyon, the
stormtroopers break through the hatch and begin to fire at the escaping duo. Luke returns the fire before ducking into the tiny subhallway.
-
Ben hides in the shadows of the narrow passageway as several tormtroopers rush past him in the main hallway. He checks to make sure they're gone, then runs down the hallway in the opposite direction. Darth Vader appears at the far end of the hallway and starts after the old Jedi.
-
Threepio looks around at the troops milling about the pirateship entry ramp.
THREEPIO: Where could they be?
Artoo, plugged into the computer socket, turns his dome left and right, beeping a response.
-
Han and Chewbacca run down a long corridor with several
troopers hot on their trail.
“Close the blast doors!” the trooper orders
At the end of the hallway, blast doors begin to close in front of them. The young starpilot and his furry companion race past the huge doors just as they are closing, and manage 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 shouts again
-
Ben hurries along one of the tunnels leading to the hangar where the pirateship waits. Just before he reaches the hangar, Darth Vader steps into view at the end of the tunnel, not ten
feet away. Vader lights his saber. Ben also ignites his and steps slowly forward.
“I've been waiting for you, Obi-Wan. We meet again, at last. The circle is now complete.”
Ben Kenobi moves with elegant ease into a classical offensive position. The fearsome Dark Knight takes a defensive stance.
“When I left you, I was but the learner; now I am the master.”
“Only a master of evil, Darth.”
The two Galactic warriors stand perfectly still for a few moments, sizing each other up and waiting for the right moment. Ben seems to be under increasing pressure and strain, as if an invisible weight were being placed upon him. He shakes his head and, blinking, tries to clear his eyes. Ben makes a sudden lunge at the huge warrior but is checked by a lightning movement of The Sith. A masterful slash stroke by Vader is blocked by the old Jedi. Another of the Jedi's blows is blocked, then countered. Ben moves around the Dark Lord and starts backing into the massive starship hangar. The two powerful warriors stand motionless for a few moments with laser swords locked in mid-air, creating a low buzzing sound.
“Your powers are weak, old man.”
“You can't win, Anakin. If you strike me down, I shall become more powerful than you can possibly imagine.”
Their lightsabers continue to meet in combat.
-
Han Solo and Chewbacca, their weapons in hand, lean 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?”
Chewbacca growls a reply, as Luke and the princess join them.
“What kept you?”
“We ran into some old friends.” Luke replies as they slowed to a stop at hotwire side
“Is the ship all right?” Leai inquires
“Seems okay, if we can get to it. Just hope the old man got the “tractor beam out of commission.
-
Vader and Ben Kenobi continue their powerful duel. As they hit their lightsabers together, lightning flashes on impact. Troopers look on in interest as the old Jedi and Dark Lord of The Sith fight. Suddenly Leia spots the battle from her group's vantage point.
“Look!”
Luke, Leia, Han, and Chewie look up and see Ben and Vader
emerging from the hallways on the far side of the docking bay.
-
Threepio and Artoo-Detoo are in the center of the Death Star's
Imperial docking bay.
“Come on, Artoo, we're going!”
Threepio ducks out of sight as the seven stormtroopers who were guarding the starship rush past them heading towards Ben and The Sith Knight. He pulls on Artoo.
-
Solo, Chewie, Luke, and Leia tensely watch the duel. The troops rush toward the battling knights.
“Now's our chance! Go!” Han orders
They start for the Millennium Falcon. Ben sees the troops charging toward him and realizes that he is trapped. Vader takes advantage of Ben's momentary distraction and brings his mighty lightsaber down on the old man. Ben manages to deflect the blow and swiftly turns around. The old Jedi Knight looks over his shoulder at Leia and Luke smiling when he saw the boy safe, lifts his sword from Vader's then watches his opponent with a serene look on his face. Vader brings his sword down, cutting old Ben in half. Ben's cloak falls to the floor in two parts, but Ben is not in it. Vader is puzzled at Ben's disappearance and pokes at the empty cloak. As the guards are distracted, the adventurers and the robots reach the starship. Leia sees Ben cut in two and starts for him. Aghast, she and luke yell out.
“No!”
Obi-wan!” The prince almost fall to the floor as he watches, Han catches him in his arms
“Come on sweetheart we gotta get on the ship”
Han leads the prince to the ramp before they both look back at leia
The stormtroopers turn toward Leia and begin firing at her. The robots are already moving up the ramp into the Millennium Falcon, while Leia, transfixed by anger and awe, returns their fire. Solo joins in the laserfire. Vader looks up and advances toward them, as one of his troopers is struck down.
“Come on!” Han shouts to leia
“Come on! Leia, its too late!”
“Blast the door! Kid!”
Leia fires her pistol at the door control panel, and it explodes. The door begins to slide shut. Three troopers charge forward firing laser bolts, as the door slides to a close behind them, shutting Vader and the other troops out of the docking bay. A stormtrooper lies dead at the feet of his onrushing compatriots. Luke starts for the advancing troops, as Solo and Luke move up the ramp into the pirate ship. She fires, hitting a stormtrooper, who crumbles to the floor.
“Run, Leia! Run!” Obi-wan’s voice rings out
Leia looks around to see where the voice came from. She turns toward the pirateship, ducking Imperial gunfire from the troopers and races into the ship.
-
Han pulls back on the controls and the ship begins to move. The dull thud of laser bolts bouncing off the outside of the ship as Chewie adjusts 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!”
Chewbacca growls in agreement.
-
The Millennium Falcon powers away from the Death Star docking bay, makes a spectacular turn and disappears into the vastness of space.
-
Leia, saddened by the loss of Obi-Wan Kenobi, stares off blankly as the robots look on. Luke puts a blanket around her protectively, and Leia turns and looks up at him. He sits down beside her.
“He was a good man Leia and he cared for you very much. He helped me get pack to my parents when i was small and he was much younger but still as brave and im sure youll live up to his legacy” she motions to the lightsaber, before letting leia lean into his shoulder for comfort.
-
Solo spots 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 shouts a chewie
-
Luke looks downward sadly, shaking her head back and forth, as the prince smiles comfortingly at her.
“I can't believe he's gone.
Artoo-Detoo beeps a reply.
“There wasn't anything you could have done Leia.”
Han rushes into the hold area where Leia is sitting with the prince.
“Come on, girly, we're not out of this yet!”
-
Han climbs into his attack position in the topside gunport.
Leia gets up and moves out toward the gunports as Luke heads for the cockpit.
Leia climbs 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 adjusts his headset as he sits before the controls of his laser cannon, then speaks into the attached microphone.
“You in, kid? Okay, stay sharp!”
-
Chewbacca and Luke search the heavens for attacking TIE fighters. The Wookiee pulls back on the speed controls as the ship bounces slightly.
-
Computer graphic readouts form on Solo's target screen, as Han reaches for controls.
Luke sits in readiness for the attack, her hand on the laser cannon's control button
Chewbacca spots the enemy ships and barks.
“Here they come!” Luke informs through the intercom
-
The Imperial TIE fighters move towards the Millennium Falcon, one each veering off to the left and right of the pirateship.
-
Threepio is seated in the hold area, next to Artoo-Detoo. The pirateship bounces and vibrates as the power goes out in the room and then comes back on.
A TIE fighter maneuvers in front of Han, who follows it and fires at it with the laser cannon. Leia does likewise, as the fighter streaks into view. The ship has suffered a minor hit,
and bounces slightly.
Leia fires at an unseen fighter.
“They're coming in too fast!” Leia shouts down the intercom
The ship shudders as a laserbolt hits very close to the cockpit. The Wookiee chatters something to Leia.
The two TIE fighters fire a barrage of laserbeams at the pirateship.
A laserbolt streaks into the side of the pirateship. The ship lurches violently, throwing poor Threepio into a cabinet fill of small computer chips.
“Oooh!”
-
Luke watches the computer readout as Chewbacca manipulates the ship's controls.
“We've lost lateral controls.” luke informs worriedly
“Don't worry, she'll hold together.” Han replies
An enemy laserbolt hits the pirateship's control panel, causing it to blow out in a shower of sparks.
“You hear me, baby? Hold together!” Han whispers to his ship
Artoo-Detoo advances toward the smoking sparking control panel, dousing the inferno by spraying it with fire retardant beeping all the while.
Leia swivels in her gun mount, following the TIE fighter with her laser cannon as Han aims his laser cannon at the enemy fighter.
-
A TIE fighter streaks in front of the starship while luke watches the ship fly over.
-
Leia follows the TIE fighter across his field of view, firing laserbeams from her cannon. Leia fires at a TIE fighter. At her port, Han follows a fighter in his sights, releasing a blast of laserfire. He connects, and the fighter explodes into fiery dust. Han laughs victoriously.
Another TIE fighter moves in on the pirateship and Leia, smiling, fires the laser cannon at it, scoring a spectacular direct hit.
“Got him! I got him!”
Han turns and gives Leia a victory wave which Leia gleefully returns.
“Great kid! Don't get cocky.”
Han turns back to his laser cannon.
-
While Chewbacca manipulates the controls, Luke turns, looking over his shoulder out the ports.
“There are still two more of them out there!”
Leia and Han look into their respective projected target screens. An Imperial fighter crosses Solo's port, and Han swivels in his chair, following it with blasts from his laser cannon. Another fighter crosses Luke's port, and she reacts in a like manner, the glow of her target screen lighting her face.
Leia fires a laserblast at the approaching enemy fighter, and it bursts into a spectacular explosion. Leia's projected screen gives a readout of the hit. The pirateship bounces slightly as it is struck by the enemy fire.
The last of the attacking Imperial TIE fighters looms in, firing upon the Falcon.
Han swivels behind his cannon, his aim describing the arc of the TIE fighter. The fighter comes closer, firing at the pirateship, but a well-aimed blast from Han's laser cannon
hits the attacker, which blows up in a small atomic shower of burning fragments.
“That's it! We did it!” Luke laughs
The prince jumps up and gives Chewie a congratulatory hug.
“We did it!”
Threepio lies on the floor of the ship, completely tangled in the smoking, sparking wires.
“Help! I think I'm melting! (to Artoo) This is all your fault.
Artoo turns his dome from side to side, beeping in response.
The victorious Millennium Falcon moves off majestically through space.
-
Darth Vader strides into the control room, where Tarkin is watching the huge view screen. A sea of stars is before him.
“Are they away?”
“They have just made the jump into hyperspace.”
“You're sure the homing beacon is secure aboard their ship? I'm taking an awful risk, Vader. This had better work.”
-
Han, removes his gloves and smiling, is at the controls of the ship. Chewie moves into the aft section to check the damage. Luke is seated near Han.
“Not a bad bit of rescuing, huh? You know, sometimes I even amaze myself.”
“That doesn't sound too hard. Besides, they let us go. It's the only explanation for the ease of our escape.”
“Easy...you call that easy?”
“Their tracking us!”
“Not this ship, handsome.”
Frustrated and amused, Luke shakes his head.
“At least the information in Artoo is still intact.”
“What's so important? What's he carrying?”
“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!”
“It is for me, dollface! Look, I ain't in this for your revolution, and I'm not in it for you, Prince. I expect to be well paid. I'm in it for the money!”
“You needn't worry about your reward. If money is all that you love, then that's what you'll receive!”
He angrily turns, and as she starts out of the cockpit, passes Leia coming in.
“Your friend is quite a mercenary. I wonder if he really cares about anything...or anyone.”
“I care!”
Leia, shaking her head, sits in the copilot seat. She and Han stare out at the vast blackness of space.
“So...what do you think of him, Han?”
“I'm trying not to, kid!”
“Good..?”
“Still, he's got a lot of spirit. I don't know, what do you think? Do you think a prince and a guy like me…”
“No!”
Leia says it with finality and looks away. Han smiles at young Leia's jealousy
The battered pirateship drifts into orbit around the planet Yavin and proceeds to one of its tiny green moons.The pirateship soars over the dense jungle.
An alert guard, his laser gun in hand, scans the countryside. He sets the gun down and looks toward the temple, barely visible in the foliage.
Rotting in a forest of gargantuan trees, an ancient temple lies shrouded in an eerie mist. The air is heavy with the fantastic cries of unimaginable creatures. Han, Luke and the others are greeted by the Rebel troops. Leia and the group ride into the massive temple on an armored military speeder.
The military speeder stops in a huge spaceship hangar, set up in the interior of the crumbling temple. Willard, the commander of the Rebel forces, rushes up to the group and ives Luke a big hug. Every one is pleased to see him.
“You're safe! We had feared the worst.” Willard hugged the boy
Willard composes himself, steps back and bows formally.
“When we heard about Alderaan, we were afraid that you were... lost along with your father.”
“We don't have time for our sorrows, Commander. The battle station has surely tracked us here (looking pointedly to Han). It's the only explanation for the ease of our escape. You must use the information in this R2 unit to plan the attack. It is our only hope.
The surface of the Death Star ominously approaches the red planet Yavin.
Grand Moff Tarkin and Lord Vader are interrupted in their discussion by the buzz of the comlink. Tarkin moves to answer the call.
“Yes.”
“We are approaching the planet Yavin. The Rebel base is on a moon on the far side. We are preparing to orbit the planet.”
A lone guard stands in a tower high above the Yavin landscape,surveying the countryside. A mist hangs over the jungle of twisted green.
Dodonna stands before a large electronic wall display. Luke and several other senators are to one side of the giant readout. The low-ceilinged room is filled with starpilots, navigators, and a sprinkling of R2-type robots. Everyone is listening intently to what Dodonna is saying. Han and Chewbacca are standing near the back.
The battle station is heavily shielded and carries a firepower greater than half the star fleet. It's defenses are designed around a direct large-scale assault. A small one-man fighter should be able to penetrate the outer defense.
Gold Leader, a rough looking man in his early thirties, stands and addresses Dodonna.
“Pardon me for asking, sir, but what good are snub fighters going to be against that?”
“Well, the Empire doesn't consider a small one-man fighter to be any threat, or they'd have a tighter defense. An analysis of the plans provided by Prince Luke has demonstrated a weakness in the battle station.” Dodonna said frimly
Artoo-Detoo stands next to a similar robot, makes beeping sounds, and turns his head from right to left.
“The approach will not be easy. You are required to maneuver straight down this trench and skim the surface to this point. The target area is only two meters wide. It's a small thermal exhaust port, right below the main port. The shaft leads directly to the reactor system. A precise hit will start a chain reaction which should destroy the station.”
A murmur of disbelief runs through the room.
“Only a precise hit will set up a chain reaction. The shaft is ray-shielded, so you'll have to use proton torpedoes.”
Leia is sitting next to Wedge Antilles, a hotshot pilot about sixteen years old.
“That's impossible, even for a computer.” Wedge calls out
“It's not impossible. I used to bull's-eye womp rats in my T-sixteen back home. They're not much bigger than two meters.” Leia whispers to the man.
“Man your ships! And may the Force be with you!” Dodonna calls out a last time as she dismisses them
The group rises and begins to leave.
-
The Death Star begins to move around the planet toward the tiny green moon.
Tarkin and Vader watch the computer projected screen with interest, as a circle of lights intertwines around one another on the screen showing it's position in relation to Yavin and the forth moon.
“Orbiting the planet at maximum velocity. The moon with the Rebel base will be in range in thirty minutes.” the intercom rings out
“This will be a day long remembered. It has seen the end of Kenobi and it will soon see the end of the Rebellion.” Vader stands in front of a large window looking at yavin
-
Leia, Threepio and little Artoo enter the huge spaceship hangar and hurry along a long line of gleaming spacefighters. Flight crews rush around loading last-minute armaments and unlocking power couplings. In an area isolated from this activity Leia finds Han and Chewbacca loading small boxes onto an armored speeder.
“All flight trooper, man your stations. All flight troops, man your stations.” a man calls out in the background.
Han is deliberately ignoring the activity of the fighter pilots' preparation. Leia is quite saddened at the sight of her friend's departure.
“So...you got your reward and you're just leaving then?”
“That's right, yeah! I got some old debts I've got to pay off with this stuff. Even if I didn't, you don't think I'd be fool enough to stick around here, do you? Why don't you come with us? You're pretty good in a fight. I could use you.”
“Come on! Why don't you take a look around? You know what's about to happen, what they're up against. They could use a good pilot like you. You're turning your back on them.” Leia shot back angrily at han
“What good's a reward if you ain't around to use it? Besides, attacking that battle station ain't my idea of courage. It's more like suicide.” He turns away from the girl and back to his ship again.
“All right. Well, take care of yourself, Han. I guess that's what you're best at, isn't it?”
Leia goes off and Han hesitates, then calls to her.
“Hey, Leia...may the Force be with you!”
Leia turns and sees Han nod at her. Luke lifts her hand in a small wave and then goes off. Han turns to Chewie who growls at his captain.
“What're you lookin' at? I know what I'm doing.”
-
Luke, Leia, and Dodonna meet under a huge space fighter.
“What's wrong Leia you seem troubled?
“Oh, it's Han! I don't know, I really thought he'd change his mind.”
“He's got to follow his own path. No one can choose it for him.”
“I only wish Ben were here.” Luke rubs the girls arm comfortingly before giving her a hug and walking off. As Leia heads for her ship, another pilot rushes up to her and grabs her arm.
“Leia! I don't believe it! How'd you get here...are you going out with us?!” biggs collected the girl into his arms hugging her tightly.
“Biggs! Of course, I'll be up there with you! Listen, have I got “some stories to tell...
Red Leader, a rugged handsome man in his forties, comes up behind Luke and Biggs. He has the confident smile of a born leader.
“Are you...Leia Skywalker? Have you been checked out on the Incom T-sixty-five?”
“Sir, Leia is the best bushpilot in the outer rim territories” biggs pulls away from the hug but kept an arm around the girl.
Red Leader pats Leia on the back as they stop in front of her fighter.
“I met your father once when I was just a boy, he was a great pilot. You'll do all right. If you've got half of your father's skill, you'll do better than all right.”
“Thank you, sir. I'll try.”
Red Leader hurries to his own ship.
“I've got to get aboard. Listen, you'll tell me your stories when we come back. All right?” Biggs turns to face Leia
“I told you I'd make it someday, Biggs.” She pulls him into a kiss smiling shyly as he pulled away and began to walk off
“You did, all right. It's going to be like old times, Luke. We're a couple of shooting stars that'll never be stopped!”
Leia laughs and shakes her head in agreement. She heads for her ship. As Leia begins to climb up the ladder into her sleek, deadly spaceship, the crew chief, who is working on the craft, points to little Artoo, who is being hoisted into a socket on the back of the fighter.
“This R2 unit of your seems a bit beat up. Do you want a new “one?
“Not on your life! That little droid and I have been through a lot together. You okay, Artoo?”
The crewmen lower Artoo-Detoo into the craft. Now a part of the exterior shell of the starship, the little droid beeps that he is fine. Leia climbs up into the cockpit of her fighter and puts an her helmet. Threepio looks on from the floor of the massive hangar as the crewmen secure his little electronic partner into Leia's X-wing. It's an emotional-filled moment as Artoo beeps good-bye.
“Okay, easy she goes!” The chief orders his men as the load artoo in
“Hang on tight, Artoo, you've got to come back.”
Artoo beeps in agreement to threepio.
“You wouldn't want my life to get boring, would you?”
Artoo whistles his reply. All final preparations are made for the approaching battle. The hangar is buzzing with the last minute activity as the pilots and crewmen alike make their final adjustments. The hum of activity is occasionally trespassed by the distorted voice of the loudspeaker issuing commands. Coupling hoses are disconnected from the ships as they are fueled. Cockpit shields roll smoothly into place over each pilot. A signalman, holding red guiding lights, directs the ships. Leia, a trace of a smile gracing her lips, peers about through her goggles.
“Luke, the Force will be with you.” Obi-wan’s voice echoes again just like on the deathstar.
Leia is confused at the voice and taps her headphones.
Chapter Text
All that can be seen of the fortress is a lone guard standing on a small pedestal jutting out above the dense jungle. The muted gruesome crying sounds that naturally permeate this eerie purgatory are overwhelmed by the thundering din of ion rockets as four silver starships catapult from the foliage in a tight formation and disappears into the morning cloud cover.
The prince, Threepio, and a field commander sit quietly before the giant display showing the planet Yavin and its four moons. The red dot that represents the Death Star moves ever closer to the system. A series of green dots appear around the fourth moon. A din of indistinct chatter fills the war room.
“Stand-by alert. Death Star approaching. Estimated time to firing range, fifteen minutes.” The intercom rang through the room.
-
The Death Star slowly moves behind the massive yellow surface of Yavin in the foreground, as many X-wing fighters flying in formation zoom toward us and out of the frame.
Light from a distant sun creates an eerie atmospheric glow around a huge planet, Yavin. Rebel fighters flying in formation settle ominously in the foreground and very slowly pull away.
-
Red Leader lowers his visor and adjusts his gun sights,
looking to each side at his wing men.
“All wings report in.”
One of the Rebel fighters checks in through his mic.
“Red Ten standing by.”
Biggs checks his fighter's controls, alert and ready for
combat.
“Red Seven standing by.”
“Red Three standing by.” Biggs called into his headset.
“Red Six standing by.”
“Red Nine standing by.”
“Red Two standing by.” Wedge also informed
“Red Eleven standing by.”
“Red Five standing by.” Leia called out last
Artoo-Detoo, in position outside of the fighter, turns his head from side to side and makes beeping sounds.
“Lock S-foils in attack position.” Red leader orders
The group of X-wing fighters move in formation toward the Death Star, unfolding the wings and locking them in the "X" position.
“We're passing through their magnetic field.” Red Leader called out through his headser
“Hold tight!”
-
Leia adjusts her controls as she concentrates on the approaching Death Star. The ship begins to be buffeted slightly.
“Switch your deflectors on.” Red Leader continues his instrucions
“Double front!”
The fighters, now X-shaped darts, move in formation. The Death Star now appears to be a small moon growing rapidly in size as the Rebel fighters approach. Complex patterns on the metallic surface begin to become visible. A large dish antenna is built into the surface on one side
Wedge is amazed and slightly frightened at the awesome spectacle.
“Look at the size of that thing!” He speaks into his headset before rre leader reprimands him
“Cut the chatter, Red Two. Accelerate to attack speed. This is it, people!”
As the fighters move closer to the Death Star, the awesome size of the gargantuan Imperial fortress is revealed. Half of the deadly space station is in shadow and this area sparkles with thousands of small lights running in thin lines and occasionally grouped in large clusters; somewhat like a city at night as seen from a weather satellite.
“Red Leader, this is Gold Leader.”
“I copy, Gold Leader.”
“We're starting for the target shaft now.”
Red Leader looks around at his wingmen; the Death Star looming in from behind. Two Y-wing fighters bob back and forth in the background. He moves his computer targeting device into position.
“We're in position. I'm going to cut across the axis and try and draw their fire.
Two squads of Rebel fighters peel off. The X-wings dive towards the Death Star surface. A thousand lights glow across the dark grey expanse of the huge station.
-
Alarm sirens scream upon the Deathstar as soldiers scramble to large turbo- powered laser gun emplacements. Electronic drivers rotate the huge guns into position as crew adjust their targeting devices.
Laserbolts streak through the star-filled night. The Rebel X-wing fighters move in toward the Imperial base, as the Death Star aims its massive laser guns at the Rebel forces and fires.
-
Prince Luke listens to the battle over the intercom. Threepio is at his side.
“Heavy fire, boss! Twenty-degrees.” wedge’s voice pierces through the speaker, red leader’s following.
“I see it. Stay low.”
-
An X-wing zooms across the surface of the Death Star.
Technical crews scurry here and there loading last-minute armaments and unlocking power cables.
Wedge maneuvers his fighter toward the menacing Death Star.
X-wings continue in their attack course on the Death Star.
Leia nosedives radically, starting his attack on the monstrous fortress. The Death Star surface streaks past the cockpit window.
“This is Red Five; I'm going in!” she calls through her headset
Leia's X-wing races toward the Death Star. Laserbolts streak from Leia's weapons, creating a huge fireball explosion on the dim surface.
Terror crosses Leia's face as she realizes she won't be able to pull out in time to avoid the fireball.
“Leia, pull up!” Biggs shouts desperately
Leia's ship emerges from the fireball, with the leading edges of her wings slightly scorched.
“Are you all right?” Biggs speaks again
Leia adjusts her controls and breathes a sigh of relief. Flames burst outside the cockpit window.
“I got a little cooked, but I'm okay.”
Rebel fighters continue to strafe the Death Star's surface with laserbolts.
Walls buckle and cave in inside the Death Star. Troops and equipment are blown in all directions. Stormtroopers stagger out of the rubble. Standing in the middle of the chaos, a vision of calm and foreboding, is Darth Vader. One of his Astro-Officers rushes up to him.
“We count thirty Rebel ships, Lord Vader. But they're so small they're evading our turbo-lasers!”
“We'll have to destroy them ship to ship. Get the crews to their fighters.”
Smoke belches from the giant laser guns as they wind up theirturbine generators to create sufficient power. The crew rushes about preparing for another blast. Even the troopers head gear is not adequate to protect them from the overwhelming noise of the monstrous weapon. One troopers bangs his helmet with his hand in an attempt to stop the ringing.
-
Red Leader flies through a heavy hail of flak.
“Leia, let me know when you're going in.”
The Red Leader's X-wing flies past Leia as she puts her nose down and starts her attack dive.
“I'm on my way in now…”
“Watch yourself! There's a lot of fire coming from the right side of that deflection tower.” Red leader calls again
“I'm on it.”
Leia flings her X-wing into a twisting dive across the horizon and down onto the dim grey surface. A shot hurls from Leia's guns. Laserbolts streak toward the onrushing Death Star surface. Several small radar emplacements erupt in flame. Laserfire erupts from a protruding tower on the surface.
The blurry Death Star surface races past the cockpit window as a big smile sweeps across Leia's face at the success of her run. Flak thunders on all sides of her.
The Death Star superstructure races past Leia as she maneuvers her craft through a wall of laserfire and peels away from the surface towards the heavens.
The thunder and smoke of the big guns reverberate throughout the massive structure. Many soldiers rush about in the smoke and chaos, silhouetted by the almost continual flash of explosions.
Biggs dives through a forest of radar domes, antennae, and gun towers as he shoots low across the Death Star surface. A dense barrage of laserfire streaks by on all sides.
Imperial star pilots dash in unison to a line of small auxiliary hatches that lead to Imperial TIE fighters.
-
Prince Luke, surrounded by his generals and aides, paces nervously before a lighted computer table. On all sides technicians work in front of many lighted glass walls. Dodonna watches quietly from one corner. One of the officers working over a screen speaks into his headset.
“Squad leaders, we've picked up a new group of signals. Enemy fighters coming your way”
-
Leia looks around to see if she can spot the approaching Imperial fighters.
“My scope's negative. I don't see anything.”
The Death Star's surface sweeps past as Red Leader searches the sky for the Imperial fighters. Flak pounds at his ship.
“Keep up your visual scanning. With all this jamming, they'll be on top of you before your scope can pick them up.”
Silhouetted against the rim lights of the Death Star horizon, four ferocious Imperial TIE ships dive on the Rebel fighters. Two of the TIE fighters peel off and drop out of frame.
Biggs panics when he discovers a TIE ship on his tail. The horizon in the background twists around as he peels off, hoping to lose the Imperial fighter.
“Biggs! You've picked one up...watch it!” Red Leader calls out
“I can't see it! Where is he?!”
Biggs zooms off the surface and into space, closely followed by an Imperial TIE fighter. The TIE ship fires several laserbolts at Biggs, but misses.
Biggs see the TIE ship behind him and swings around, trying to avoid him.
“He's on me tight, I can't shake him...I can't shake him.”
Biggs, flying at high altitude, peels off and dives toward the Death Star surface, but he is unable to lose the TIE fighter, who sticks close to his tail.
Leia is flying upside down. She rotates her ship around to normal attitude as she comes out of her dive.
“Hang on, Biggs, I'm coming.”
Biggs and the tailing TIE ship dive for the surface, now followed by a fast-gaining Leia. After Biggs dives out of sight, Leia chases the Imperial fighter.
In the foreground, the Imperial fighter races across the Death Star's surface, closely followed by Leia in the background.
There is a shot from Leia's X-wing of the TIE ship exploding in a mass of flames.
“Got him!”
-
Darth Vader strides purposefully down a Death Star corridor, flanked by Imperial stormtroopers.
“Several fighters have broken off from the main group. Come with me!”
-
A concerned Prince Luke, Threepio, Dodonna, and other
officers of the Rebellion stand around the huge round readout screen, listening to the ship-to-ship communication on the room's loudspeaker.
“Pull in! Leia...pull in!”
“Watch your back, Leia!” Biggs and the Wwedge are heard over the speakers
“Watch your back! Fighter's above you, coming in!” Wedge is heard over Leia’s headset
Leia's ship soars away from the Death Star's surface as she spots the tailing TIE fighter.
The TIE pilot takes aim at Leia's X-wing.
The Imperial TIE fighter pilot scores a hit on Leia's ship. Fire breaks out on the right side of the X-wing.
Leia looks out of his cockpit at the flames on her ship.
“I'm hit, but not bad.”
Smoke pours out from behind Artoo-Detoo.
“Artoo, see what you can do with it. Hang on back there.”
Green laserfire moves past the beeping little robot as his head turns.
Leia nervously works her controls. As red leader is heard over the headset
“Red Six…”
In the war room, Luke stands frozen as he listens and worries about Leia.
“Can you see Red Five?” Red leader is heard again
“There's a heavy fire zone on this side. Red Five, where are you?” Red Ten questions.
Leia spots the TIE fighter behind her and soars away from the Death Star surface.
“I can't shake him!”
Leia's ship soars closer to the surface of the Death Star, an Imperial TIE fighter closing in on her in hot pursuit.
The Death Star whips below Wedge.
“I'm on him, Leia!” Wedge reassures over the headset “Hold on!”
Wedge dives across the horizon toward Leia and the TIE fighter
Wedge moves his X-wing in rapidly.
Leia reacts frantically.
“Blast it! Wedge where the kriff are you?”
The fighter pilot watches Wedge's X-wing approach. Another X-wing joins him, and both unleash a volley of laserfire on the Imperial fighter.
The TIE fighter explodes, filling the screen with white light. Leia's ship can be seen far in the distance.
Leia looks about in relief.
“Thanks, Wedge.”
-
Luke, Threepio, Dodonna and other Rebel officers are listening to the Rebel Fighter's radio transmissions over the war room intercom.
“Good shooting, Wedge!”
“Red Leader…” Gold leader speaks wearily over the praise to Wedge
Gold Leader peels off and starts toward the long trenches at the Death Star surface pole.
“This is Gold Leader. We're starting out attack run.”
-
Three Y-wing fighters of the Gold group dive out of the stars toward the Death Star surface.
Luke and the others are grouped around the screen, as technicians move about attending to their duties.
“I copy, Gold Leader. Move into position.”
Three Imperial TIE ships in precise formation dive toward the Death Star surface.
-
Darth Vader calmly adjusts his control stick as the stars whip past in the window above his head.
“Stay in attack formation!” Vader orders out
-
Technicians are seated at the computer readout table.
“The exhaust post is…” Gold leader trails off before continuing
“...marked and locked in!”
Gold Leader approaches the surface and pulls out to skim the surface of the huge station. The ship moves into a deep trench, firing laserbolts. The surface streaks past as laserfire is returned by the Death Star.
Gold Five is a pilot in his early fifties with a very battered helmet that looks like it's been through many battles. He looks around to see if enemy ships are near. His fighter is buffeted by Imperial flak.
Gold Leader races down the enormous trench that leads to the exhaust port. Laserbolts blast toward him in increasing numbers, occasionally exploding near the ship causing it to bounce about.
“Switch power to front deflector screens.” Gold leader’s voice rings through the headsets
Three Y-wing skim the Death Star surface deep in the trench, as laserbolts streak past on all sides.
An exterior surface gun blazes away at the oncoming Rebel fighters.
“How many guns do you think, Gold Five.”
“I'd say about twenty guns. Some on the surface, some on the towers.”
Leia, Threepio, and the technicians view the projectedtarget screen, as red and blue target lights glow. The red target near the center blinks on and off.
“Death Star will be in range in five minutes.”
-
The three Y-wing fighters race toward camera and zoom overhead through a hail of laserfire.
Gold Leader pulls his computer targeting device down in front of his eye. Laserbolts continue to batter the Rebel craft.
“switching to targeting computer.”
Gold Two, a younger pilot about Leia's age, pulls down her targeting eye viewer and adjusts it. Her ship shudders under intense laser barrage.
“Computer's locked. Getting a signal.”
As the fighters begin to approach the target area, suddenlyall the laserfire stops. An eerie clam clings over the trench as the surface whips past in a blur.
“The guns...they've stopped!”
Gold Five looks behind him.
“Stabilize your read deflectors. Watch for enemy fighters.”
“They're coming in! Three marks at two ten.” Gold leader called out
Three Imperial TIE ships, Darth Vader in the center flanked by two wingmen, dive in precise formation almost vertically toward the Death Star surface.
Darth Vader calmly adjusts his control stick as the stars zoom by.
“I'll take them myself! Cover me!”
“Yes, sir.”
Three TIE fighters zoom across the surface of the Death Star.
Vader lines up Gold Two in his targeting computer. Vader's hands grip the control stick as he presses the button.
The cockpit explodes around Gold Two. Her head falls forward.
As Gold Two's ship explodes, debris is flung out into space.
Gold Leader looks over his shoulder at the scene.
The three TIE fighters race along in the trench in a tight formation.
Gold Leader panics.
“I can't maneuver!”
Gold Five, the old veteran, trys to calm Gold Leader.
“Stay on target.”
The Death Star races by outside the cockpit window as he adjusts his targeting device.
“We're too close.”
The older pilot remains calm.
“Stay on target!”
Now he's really panicked.
“Loosen up!”
Vader calmly adjusts his targeting computer and pushes the fire button.
Gold Leader's ship is hit by Vader's laser.
Gold Leader explodes in a ball of flames, throwing debris in all directions.
Gold Five moves in on the exhaust port.
“Gold Five to Red Leader…”
“I copy, Gold Five.”
“They came from behind....”
One of the engines explodes on Gold Five's Y-wing fighter, blazing out of control. He dives past the horizon toward the Death Star's surface, passing a TIE fighter during his descent. Gold Five, a veteran of countless campaigns, spins toward his death.
Luke looks nervously about him at the explosive battle.
-
Grant Moff Tarkin and a Chief Officer stand in the Death Star's control room.
“We've analyzed their attack, sir, and there is a danger. Should I have your ship standing by?”
“Evacuate? In out moment of triumph? I think you overestimate their chances!”
Tarkin turns to the computer readout screen. Flames move around the green disk at the center of the screen, as numbers read across the bottom.
“Rebel base, three minutes and closing.”
-
All that can be seen of the fortress is a lone guard standing on a small pedestal jutting out above the dense jungle. The muted gruesome crying sounds that naturally permeate this eerie purgatory are overwhelmed by the thundering din of ion rockets as four silver starships catapult from the foliage in a tight formation and disappears into the morning cloud cover.
The prince, Threepio, and a field commander sit quietly before the giant display showing the planet Yavin and its four moons. The red dot that represents the Death Star moves ever closer to the system. A series of green dots appear around the fourth moon. A din of indistinct chatter fills the war room.
Stand-by alert. Death Star approaching. Estimated time to firing range, fifteen minutes.
-
The Death Star slowly moves behind the massive yellow surface of Yavin in the foreground, as many X-wing fighters flying in formation zoom through the space around the Death star.
Light from a distant sun creates an eerie atmospheric glow around a huge planet, Yavin. Rebel fighters flying in formation settle ominously in the foreground and very slowly pull away.
Red Leader lowers his visor and adjusts his gun sights, looking to each side at his wing men.
“All wings report in.”
One of the Rebel fighters checks in through his mic.
“Red Ten standing by.”
Biggs checks his fighter's controls, alert and ready for Combat as his wingmates check in, in the backround.
“Red Seven standing by.”
“Red Three standing by.”
“Red Six standing by.”
“Red Nine standing by.”
“Red Two standing by.”
“Red Eleven standing by.”
“Red Five standing by.” Leia calls out.
Artoo-Detoo, in position outside of the fighter, turns his head from side to side and makes beeping sounds.
“Lock S-foils in attack position.”
The group of X-wing fighters move in formation toward the Death Star, unfolding the wings and locking them in the "X" position.
“We're passing through their magnetic field Hold tight!”
Leia adjusts her controls as she concentrates on the approaching Death Star. The ship begins to be buffeted slightly.
“Switch your deflectors on.”
“Double front!”
The fighters, now X-shaped darts, move in formation. The Death Star now appears to be a small moon growing rapidly in size as the Rebel fighters approach. Complex patterns on the metallic surface begin to become visible. A large dish antenna is built into the surface on one side. Wedge is amazed and slightly frightened at the awesome spectacle.
“Look at the size of that thing!”
“Cut the chatter, Red Two.”
“Accelerate to attack speed. This is it, boys and girls!”
Notes:
Sorry this chapter took so long to come out, this one is a really difficult one to write as there is a lot of dialogue and small actions happening and might be a bit difficult to read because of this. I also wasn't sure what the chapter name should be as not much happened so if you have a better idea for a chapter name please tell me. Enjoy!
RemusJLupin32 on Chapter 1 Tue 05 Aug 2025 03:07PM UTC
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