Outside the Millennium Falcon, stormtroopers worked with military efficiency to

set up their enormous gun. Behind them the hangar doors began to open. One of

the Falcon's powerful laser weapons appeared from the hull and swung about, aiming

directly at the stormtroopers.

Han moved urgently to block the Imperial soldier's efforts. Without hesitation

he released a deadly blast from the powerful laser weapon he had aimed at the

stormtroopers. The explosion scattered their armored bodies all over the hangar.

Chewbacca dashed into the cockpit.

"We'll just have to switch over," Han announced, "and hope for the best."

The Wookiee hurled his hairy bulk into the copilot's seat as yet another laser

blast erupted outside the window next to him. He yelled indignantly, then yanked

back on the controls to bring the welcome roar of engine fire from deep inside the

Falcon.

The Corellian grinned at the princess, a gleeful I-told-you-so gleam in his eyes.

"Someday," she said with mild disgust, "you're going to be wrong, and I just

hope I'm there to see it."

Han just smiled, then turned to his copilot. "Punch it!" he shouted.

The huge freighter's engines roared. And everything behind the craft instantly

melted in the fiery exhaust billowing from its tailpiece Chewbacca furiously worked

the controls, watching out of the corner of his eyes the ice walls rushing past as the

freighter blasted away.

At the last moment, just before takeoff. Han caught a glimpse of additional

stormtroopers running into the hangar. In their wake strode a foreboding giant clad

entirely in black. Then there was only the blur and the beckoning of billions of stars.

As the Millennium Falcon soared from the hangar, its flight was detected by

Commander Luke Skywalker, who turned to smile at Wedge and his gunner. "At

least Han got away." The three then trudged along to their waiting X-wing fighter

ships. When they finally reached them, they shook hands and moved off toward

their separate vehicles.

"Good luck, Luke," Wedge said as they parted. "See you at the rendezvous."

Luke waved and began to walk toward his X-wing. Standing there amid the

mountains of ice and snow, he was overcome by a surge of loneliness. He felt

desperately alone now that even Han was gone. Worse than that, Princess Leia was

also somewhere else; she might just as well be an entire universe away…

Then out of nowhere a familiar whistle greeted Luke.

"Artoo!" he exclaimed. "Is that you?"

Sitting snugly in the socket that had been installed for these helpful R2 units was

the little barrel-shaped droid, his head peeking from the top of the ship. Artoo had

scanned the approaching figure and had whistled with relief when his computers

informed him it was Luke. The young commander was equally relieved to

reencounter the robot that had accompanied him on so many of his previous

adventures.

As he climbed into the cockpit and seated himself behind the controls, Luke

could hear the sound of Wedge's fighter roaring into the sky toward the Rebel

rendezvous point. "Activate the power and stop worrying. We'll soon be

airborne," Luke said in response to Artoo's nervous beeping.

His was the last Rebel ship to abandon what had, for a very brief time, been a

secret outpost in the revolution against the tyranny of the Empire.

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