DarthVader,aravenspecter,quicklystrodethroughtheruinsoftheRebelicefortress,forcinghisaccompanyingmenintoabriskjogtokeepup。Astheymovedthroughthecorridors,AdmiralPiettrusheduptoovertakehismaster。
' K4 F; C9 A' z+ y7 Q, { Seventeenshipsdestroyed,hereportedtotheDarkLord。Wedontknowhowmanygotaway。Withoutturninghishead,Vadersnarledthroughhismask,TheMillenniumFalcon?Piettpausedamomentbeforereplying。Hewouldhavepreferredtoavoidthatissue。Ourtrackingscannersareonitnow,herespondedabitfearfully。
! \% x( `! @# \7 e( T: A% @ Vaderturnedtofacetheadmiral,histoweringfigureloomingoverthefrightenedofficer。Piettfeltachillcoursethroughhisveins,andwhentheDarkLordspokeagainhisvoiceconveyedanimageofthedreadfulfatethatwouldbeinflictedifhiscommandswerenotexecuted。" F8 l6 ?" b1 p3 X2 w9 P3 u$ E
Iwantthatship,hehissed。% f4 j. }* ]7 U% {
TheiceplanetwasrapidlyshrinkingtoapointofdimlightastheMillenniumFalconspedintospace。Soonthatplanetseemednothingmorethanoneofthebillionsoflightspecksscatteredthroughouttheblackvoid。. [+ i9 |! [) G E8 V- _3 Z8 C4 n- }$ a
ButtheFalconwasnotaloneinitsescapeintodeepspace。Rather,itwasfollowedbyanImperialfleetthatincludedtheAvengerStarDestroyerandahalf-dozenTIEfighter。Thefightersmovedaheadofthehuge,slower-movingDestroyer,andclosedinonthefleeingMillenniumFalcon。+ v; y. h1 Q6 ~+ P
ChewbaccahowledovertheroaroftheFalconsengines。Theshipwasbeginningtolurchwiththebuffetingflakblastedatitbythefighters。- z/ G* @! n! K- f U2 \
Iknow,Iknow,Iseethem,Hanshouted。Itwastakingeverythinghehadtomaintaincontroloftheship。
% v5 c1 o2 W( X' c* k; r3 t$ } Seewhat?Leiaasked。
9 n3 v5 ~& c5 q( p% V! g9 |3 B Hanpointedoutthewindowattwoverybrightobjects。( r( }% a& G8 [/ ?
TwomoreStarDestroyers,andtheyreheadingrightatus。Imgladyousaidtherewasgoingtobenoproblem,shecommentedwithmorethanatouchofsarcasm,orIdbeworried。TheshiprockedunderthesteadyfirefromtheTIEfightersmakingitdifficultforTh DarthVader,aravenspecter,quicklystrodethroughtheruinsoftheRebelicefortress,forcinghisaccompanyingmenintoabriskjogtokeepup。Astheymovedthroughthecorridors,AdmiralPiettrusheduptoovertakehismaster。
- B# f4 d4 {& v. W- Z) H" R6 _ Seventeenshipsdestroyed,hereportedtotheDarkLord。Wedontknowhowmanygotaway。Withoutturninghishead,Vadersnarledthroughhismask,TheMillenniumFalcon?Piettpausedamomentbeforereplying。Hewouldhavepreferredtoavoidthatissue。Ourtrackingscannersareonitnow,herespondedabitfearfully。
! Z* A$ j4 v: @$ N Vaderturnedtofacetheadmiral,histoweringfigureloomingoverthefrightenedofficer。Piettfeltachillcoursethroughhisveins,andwhentheDarkLordspokeagainhisvoiceconveyedanimageofthedreadfulfatethatwouldbeinflictedifhiscommandswerenotexecuted。" s4 G/ ]9 P$ B1 O1 _0 Q
Iwantthatship,hehissed。3 F8 ? b, h5 }0 Q! ^
TheiceplanetwasrapidlyshrinkingtoapointofdimlightastheMillenniumFalconspedintospace。Soonthatplanetseemednothingmorethanoneofthebillionsoflightspecksscatteredthroughouttheblackvoid。1 G: {5 F& u" C& o) [' g: T
ButtheFalconwasnotaloneinitsescapeintodeepspace。Rather,itwasfollowedbyanImperialfleetthatincludedtheAvengerStarDestroyerandahalf-dozenTIEfighter。Thefightersmovedaheadofthehuge,slower-movingDestroyer,andclosedinonthefleeingMillenniumFalcon。
1 ?3 ]2 _9 b. @6 ? ChewbaccahowledovertheroaroftheFalconsengines。Theshipwasbeginningtolurchwiththebuffetingflakblastedatitbythefighters。
. ?5 U5 G) g- B6 ^4 y Iknow,Iknow,Iseethem,Hanshouted。Itwastakingeverythinghehadtomaintaincontroloftheship。
+ H5 z* S* p/ r Seewhat?Leiaasked。
" [" T5 W) w+ N! r Hanpointedoutthewindowattwoverybrightobjects。2 Z$ \/ ]9 \, w- @, a
TwomoreStarDestroyers,andtheyreheadingrightatus。Imgladyousaidtherewasgoingtobenoproblem,shecommentedwithmorethanatouchofsarcasm,orIdbeworried。TheshiprockedunderthesteadyfirefromtheTIEfightersmakingitdifficultforTh reepiotomaintainhisbalanceashereturnedtothecockpit。HismetalskinbumpedandbangedagainstthewallsasheapproachedHan。Sir,hebegantentatively,IwaswonderingHanSoloshothimathreateningglance。Eithershutuporshutdown。Hanwarnedtherobot,whoimmediatelydidtheformer。9 R1 {: T3 R& B3 F0 z0 J9 A1 O) Y. Q
StillstrugglingwiththecontrolstokeeptheMillenniumFalcononcourse,thepilotturnedtoWookiee。Chewie,howsthedeflectorshieldholdingup?ThecockpitadjustedanoverheadswitchandbarkedareplythatSolointerpretedaspositive。1 h. B$ d$ T7 }6 _' u) ^: y
Good,saidHan。Atsublight,theymaybefaster,butwecanstillout-maneuverthem。Holdon!SuddenlytheCorellianshiftedhisshipscourse。) C, z3 `5 @1 p7 @
ThetwoImperialStarDestroyershadcomalmostwithinfiringrangeoftheFalconastheyloomedahead;thepursuingTIEfightersandtheAvengerwerealsodangerouslyclose。HanfelthehadnochoicebuttotaketheFalconintoaninety-degreedive。 |