"A survivor, maybe—someone who might know what happened." Luke ventured

hopefully.

Ben Kenobi's next words shattered more than that hope. "That's an Imperial

fighter."

Chewbacca suddenly gave an angry bark. A huge flower of destruction

blossomed outside the port, battering the freighter violently. A tiny, double-winged

ball raced past the cockpit port.

"It followed us!" Luke shouted.

"From Tatooine? It couldn't have," objected a disbelieving Solo. "Not in

hyperspace."

Kenobi was studying the configuration the tracking screen displayed. "You're

quite right, Han. It's the short-range Tie fighter."

"But where did it come from?" the Corellian wanted to know. "There are no

Imperial bases near here. It couldn't have been a Tie job."

"You saw it pass."

"I know. It looked like a Tie fighter—but what about a base?"

"It's leaving in a big hurry," Luke noted, studying the tracker. "No matter

where it's going, if it identifies us we're in big trouble."

"Not if I can help it," Solo declared. "Chewie, jam its transmission. Lay in a

pursuit course."

"It would be best to let it go," Kenobi ventured thoughtfully. "It's already too

far out of range."

"Not for long."

Several minutes followed, during which the cockpit was filled with a tense

silence. Al eyes were on the tracking screen and viewport.

At first the Imperial fighter tried a complex evasive course, to no avail. The

surprisingly maneuverable freighter hung tight on its tail, continuing to make up the

distance between them. Seeing that he couldn't shape his pursuers, the fighter pilot

had obviously opened up his tiny engine all the way.

Ahead, one of the multitudes of stars was becoming steadily brighter. Luke

frowned. They were moving fast, but not nearly fast enough for any heavenly object

to brighten so rapidly. Something here didn't make sense.

"Impossible for a fighter that small to be this deep in space on its own," Solo

observed.

"It must have gotten lost, been part of a convoy or something," Luke

hypothesized.

Solo's comment was gleeful. "Well, he won't be around long enough to tell

anyone about us. We'll be on top of him in a minute or two."

The star ahead continued to brighten, its glow evidently coming from within. It

assumed a circular outline.

"He's heading for that small moon," Luke murmured.

"The Empire must have an outpost there," Solo admitted. "Although, according

to the atlas, Alderaan had no moons." He shrugged it off. "Galactic topography

was never one of my best subjects. I'm only interested in worlds and moons with

customers on them. But I think I can get him before he gets there; he's almost in

range."

They drew steadily nearer. Gradually craters and mountains on the moon

became visible. Yet there was something extremely odd about them. The craters

were far too regular in outline, the mountains far too vertical, canyons and valley

impossibly straight and regularized. Nothing as capricious as volcanic action had

formed those features.

"That's no moon," Kenobi breathed softly. "That's a space station."

"But it's too big to be a space station," Solo objected. "The size of it! It can't

be artificial—it can't!"

"I have a very strange feeling about this," was Luke's comment.

Abruptly the usually calm Kenobi was shouting. "Turn the ship around! Let's

get out of here!"

"Yes, I think you're right, old man. Full reverse, Chewie."

The Wookie started adjusting controls, and the freighter seemed to slow, arcing

around in a broad curve. The tiny fighter leaped instantly toward the monstrous

station until it was swallowed up by its overpowering bulk.

Chewbacca chattered something at Solo as the ship shook and strained against

unseen forces.

"Lock in auxiliary power!" Solo ordered.

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