Lined with power cables and circuitry conduits that rose from the depths and vanished

into the heavens, the service trench appeared to be hundreds of kilometers deep. The

narrow catwalk running around one side looked like a starched thread glued on a

glowing ocean. It was barely wide enough for one man to traverse.

One man edged his way along that treacherous walkway now, his gaze intent on

something ahead of him instead of the awesome metal abyss below. The clacking

sounds of enormous switching devices resounded like captive leviathans in the vast

open space, tireless and never sleeping.

Two thick cables joined beneath an overlay panel. It was locked, but after

careful inspection of sides, top and bottom, Ben Kenobi pressed the panel cover in a

particular fashion causing it to spring aside. A blinking computer terminal was

revealed beneath.

With equal care he performed several adjustments to the terminal. His actions

were rewarded when several indicator lights on the board changed from red to blue.

Without warning, a secondary door close behind him opened. Hurriedly

reclosing the panel cover, the old man slipped deeper into the shadows. A

detachment of troopers had appeared in the portal, and the officer in charge moved to

within a couple of meters of the motionless, hidden figure.

"Secure this area until the alert has been cancelled."

As they began to disperse, Kenobi became one with the dark.

Chewbacca grunted and wheezed, and barely succeeded in forcing his thick torso

through the hatchway opening with Luke's and Solo's help. That accomplished,

Luke turned to take stock of their surroundings.

The hallway they had emerged into showed dust on the floor. It gave the

impression of not having been used since the station had been built. Probably it was

only a repair access corridor. He had no idea where they were.

Something hit the wall behind them with a massive thunk, and Luke yelled for

everyone to watch out as a long, gelatinous limb worked its way through the hatch

and flailed hopefully about in the open corridor. Solo aimed his pistol at it as Leia

tried to slip past the half-paralyzed Chewbacca.

"Somebody get this big hairy walking carpet out of my way." Suddenly she

noticed what Solo was preparing to do. "No, wait! It'll be heard!"

Solo ignored her and fired at the hatchway. The burst of energy was rewarded

with a distant roar as an avalanche of weakened wall and beaming all but buried the

creature in the chamber beyond.

Magnified by the narrow corridor, the sounds continued to roll and echo for long

minutes afterward. Luke shook his head in disgust, realizing that someone like Solo

who spoke with the mouth of a gun might not always act sensibly. Until now he had

sort of looked up to the Corellian. But the senseless gesture of firing at the hatchway

brought them, for the first time in Luke's mind, to the same level.

The Princess's actions were more surprising than Solo's however. "Listen," she

began, staring up at him, "I don't know where you came from, but I'm grateful."

Almost as an afterthought she glanced back at Luke, adding, "To both of you." Her

attention turned back to Solo. "But from now on you do as I tell you."

Solo gaped at her. This time the smug smile wouldn't come. "Look, Your

Holiness," he was finally able to stammer, "let's get something straight. I take

orders only from one person—me."

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