AnotherexplosionrockedtheRebelhangardeck,crackingtheceilingandalmostburyingthedockedMillenniumFalconinamoundofice。Atanymomenttheentireceilingmightcavein。theonlysafeplaceinthehangarseemedtobeunderneaththeshipitselfwhereChewbaccawasimpatientlyawaitingthereturnofhiscaptain。TheWookieehadbeguntoworry。IfHandidnotreturnsoon,theFalconwouldsurelybeburiedinatombofice。ButloyaltytohispartnerkeptChewiefromtakingoffinthefreighteralone。: `2 I2 [- `/ m% j
Asthehangarstartedtotremblemoreviolently,Chewbaccadetectedmovementintheadjoiningchamber。Throwingbackhishead,theshaggygiantfilledthehangarwithhisloudestroarashesawHanSoloclimboverhillsoficeandsnowandenterthechamber,followedcloselybyPrincessLeiaandanobviouslynervousSee-Threepio。
3 }, H; G3 |' K Notfarfromthehangar,Imperialstormtroopers,theirfacesshieldedbywhitehelmetsandwhitesnowscreens,hadbegunmovingdowndesertedcorridors。Withthemstrodetheirleader,thedark-robedfigurewhosurveyedtheshamblesthathadbeentheRebelbaseatHoth。DarthVadersblackimagestoodoutstarklyagainstthewhitewalls,ceiling,andfloor。Ashemovedthroughthewhitecatacombs,heregallysteppedasidetoavoidafallingsectionoficeceiling。Thenhecontinuedonhiswaywithsuchquickstridesthathistroopshadtohurrytokeepup。! T; c. t% t; y; W! a. }
Alowwhine,risinginpitch,begantoissuefromthesaucer-shapedfreighter。
# S( e6 ?4 K/ ` HanSolostoodatthecontrolsintheMillenniumFalconscockpit,atlastfeelingathome。Hequicklyflippedoneswitchafteranother,expectingtoseetheboardflashitsfamiliarmosaicoflight;butonlysomeofthelightswereworking。
5 L9 |4 T7 b6 _ ChewbaccahadalsonoticedsomethingamissandbarkedwithconcernasLeiaexaminedagaugethatseemedtobemalfunctioning。
& z8 _ Y' `- B) i; L2 d Howsthat,Chewie?askedHananxiously。
/ @$ L$ h& ]: d8 e; Z$ l TheWookieesbarkwasdistinctlynegative。4 H0 r+ A6 }3 `5 {
WouldithelpifIgotoutandpushed?snappedPrincessLeia,whowasbeginningtowonderifitweretheCorellian AnotherexplosionrockedtheRebelhangardeck,crackingtheceilingandalmostburyingthedockedMillenniumFalconinamoundofice。Atanymomenttheentireceilingmightcavein。theonlysafeplaceinthehangarseemedtobeunderneaththeshipitselfwhereChewbaccawasimpatientlyawaitingthereturnofhiscaptain。TheWookieehadbeguntoworry。IfHandidnotreturnsoon,theFalconwouldsurelybeburiedinatombofice。ButloyaltytohispartnerkeptChewiefromtakingoffinthefreighteralone。4 J! c9 \8 w& P/ V# ]% X1 l0 A
Asthehangarstartedtotremblemoreviolently,Chewbaccadetectedmovementintheadjoiningchamber。Throwingbackhishead,theshaggygiantfilledthehangarwithhisloudestroarashesawHanSoloclimboverhillsoficeandsnowandenterthechamber,followedcloselybyPrincessLeiaandanobviouslynervousSee-Threepio。0 V: r8 B" m* W& C5 [% v, \" e
Notfarfromthehangar,Imperialstormtroopers,theirfacesshieldedbywhitehelmetsandwhitesnowscreens,hadbegunmovingdowndesertedcorridors。Withthemstrodetheirleader,thedark-robedfigurewhosurveyedtheshamblesthathadbeentheRebelbaseatHoth。DarthVadersblackimagestoodoutstarklyagainstthewhitewalls,ceiling,andfloor。Ashemovedthroughthewhitecatacombs,heregallysteppedasidetoavoidafallingsectionoficeceiling。Thenhecontinuedonhiswaywithsuchquickstridesthathistroopshadtohurrytokeepup。
" \4 ]$ Y* p! W. b/ e1 ` Alowwhine,risinginpitch,begantoissuefromthesaucer-shapedfreighter。" [ i2 P( Z, a2 k1 e
HanSolostoodatthecontrolsintheMillenniumFalconscockpit,atlastfeelingathome。Hequicklyflippedoneswitchafteranother,expectingtoseetheboardflashitsfamiliarmosaicoflight;butonlysomeofthelightswereworking。
( L) R, K7 j. V, c4 c ChewbaccahadalsonoticedsomethingamissandbarkedwithconcernasLeiaexaminedagaugethatseemedtobemalfunctioning。
$ g% b/ S) G6 V f Howsthat,Chewie?askedHananxiously。
! Y' @2 F7 {+ V) x+ r; S& Y$ | TheWookieesbarkwasdistinctlynegative。9 {3 N! U' r V
WouldithelpifIgotoutandpushed?snappedPrincessLeia,whowasbeginningtowonderifitweretheCorellian sspitthatheldtheshiptogether。
/ T: Y% Y* m) y Dontworry,YourHoliness。Illgetitstarted。See-Threepioclankedintotheholdand,gesturing,triedtogetHansattention。0 J- ]1 {$ r- }: Q+ L& G
Sir,therobotvolunteered,IwaswonderingifImightButhisscannersreadthescowlonthefacestaringathim。Itcanwait,heconcluded。 |