OutsidetheMillenniumFalcon,stormtroopersworkedwithmilitaryefficiencytosetuptheirenormousgun。Behindthemthehangardoorsbegantoopen。OneoftheFalconspowerfullaserweaponsappearedfromthehullandswungabout,aimingdirectlyatthestormtroopers。
2 s* M" V( m+ y' r* F& B HanmovedurgentlytoblocktheImperialsoldiersefforts。Withouthesitationhereleasedadeadlyblastfromthepowerfullaserweaponhehadaimedatthestormtroopers。Theexplosionscatteredtheirarmoredbodiesalloverthehangar。0 e! {* g! T6 O. t
Chewbaccadashedintothecockpit。; M1 L( D3 e+ W* G/ Q, X, \; B
Welljusthavetoswitchover,Hanannounced,andhopeforthebest。TheWookieehurledhishairybulkintothecopilotsseatasyetanotherlaserblasteruptedoutsidethewindownexttohim。Heyelledindignantly,thenyankedbackonthecontrolstobringthewelcomeroarofenginefirefromdeepinsidetheFalcon。3 x6 T3 p3 x6 J8 }4 d) j! h
TheCorelliangrinnedattheprincess,agleefulI-told-you-sogleaminhiseyes。* h0 c7 K; r3 Y; P* @
Someday,shesaidwithmilddisgust,youregoingtobewrong,andIjusthopeImtheretoseeit。Hanjustsmiled,thenturnedtohiscopilot。Punchit!heshouted。: ?; a8 a% m+ }
Thehugefreightersenginesroared。AndeverythingbehindthecraftinstantlymeltedinthefieryexhaustbillowingfromitstailpieceChewbaccafuriouslyworkedthecontrols,watchingoutofthecornerofhiseyestheicewallsrushingpastasthefreighterblastedaway。, F4 A' ]1 [2 B2 ^( q
Atthelastmoment,justbeforetakeoff。Hancaughtaglimpseofadditionalstormtroopersrunningintothehangar。Intheirwakestrodeaforebodinggiantcladentirelyinblack。Thentherewasonlytheblurandthebeckoningofbillionsofstars。. N+ a4 ^; i* k8 a. J! B( b9 s
AstheMillenniumFalconsoaredfromthehangar,itsflightwasdetectedbyCommanderLukeSkywalker,whoturnedtosmileatWedgeandhisgunner。AtleastHangotaway。ThethreethentrudgedalongtotheirwaitingX-wingfighterships。Whentheyfinallyreachedthem,theyshookhandsandmovedofftowardtheirseparatevehicles。
3 U! m/ I" Q0 y$ K1 m9 w Goodluck,Luke,Wedgesaidastheyparted。Seeyouat&nbsp OutsidetheMillenniumFalcon,stormtroopersworkedwithmilitaryefficiencytosetuptheirenormousgun。Behindthemthehangardoorsbegantoopen。OneoftheFalconspowerfullaserweaponsappearedfromthehullandswungabout,aimingdirectlyatthestormtroopers。* [' Y( [8 w* e% `5 ]/ O
HanmovedurgentlytoblocktheImperialsoldiersefforts。Withouthesitationhereleasedadeadlyblastfromthepowerfullaserweaponhehadaimedatthestormtroopers。Theexplosionscatteredtheirarmoredbodiesalloverthehangar。5 N9 m9 u9 f# G6 q' {( n
Chewbaccadashedintothecockpit。) E+ \& N H$ @( o
Welljusthavetoswitchover,Hanannounced,andhopeforthebest。TheWookieehurledhishairybulkintothecopilotsseatasyetanotherlaserblasteruptedoutsidethewindownexttohim。Heyelledindignantly,thenyankedbackonthecontrolstobringthewelcomeroarofenginefirefromdeepinsidetheFalcon。
' F" C" F1 O% E+ E, e/ e+ D8 Z TheCorelliangrinnedattheprincess,agleefulI-told-you-sogleaminhiseyes。
" w4 |8 j* [, v Someday,shesaidwithmilddisgust,youregoingtobewrong,andIjusthopeImtheretoseeit。Hanjustsmiled,thenturnedtohiscopilot。Punchit!heshouted。( K4 ^7 {: D% B7 ^4 e U: @
Thehugefreightersenginesroared。AndeverythingbehindthecraftinstantlymeltedinthefieryexhaustbillowingfromitstailpieceChewbaccafuriouslyworkedthecontrols,watchingoutofthecornerofhiseyestheicewallsrushingpastasthefreighterblastedaway。
7 d- F, @% K$ v3 h+ W" w5 r* I3 ?! y Atthelastmoment,justbeforetakeoff。Hancaughtaglimpseofadditionalstormtroopersrunningintothehangar。Intheirwakestrodeaforebodinggiantcladentirelyinblack。Thentherewasonlytheblurandthebeckoningofbillionsofstars。; J( D5 g, B3 Z% j
AstheMillenniumFalconsoaredfromthehangar,itsflightwasdetectedbyCommanderLukeSkywalker,whoturnedtosmileatWedgeandhisgunner。AtleastHangotaway。ThethreethentrudgedalongtotheirwaitingX-wingfighterships。Whentheyfinallyreachedthem,theyshookhandsandmovedofftowardtheirseparatevehicles。
( a" ?5 W m5 b& O Goodluck,Luke,Wedgesaidastheyparted。Seeyouat&nbsp ;therendezvous。LukewavedandbegantowalktowardhisX-wing。Standingthereamidthemountainsoficeandsnow,hewasovercomebyasurgeofloneliness。HefeltdesperatelyalonenowthatevenHanwasgone。Worsethanthat,PrincessLeiawasalsosomewhereelse;shemightjustaswellbeanentireuniverseawayThenoutofnowhereafamiliarwhistlegreetedLuke。" x/ |8 V+ Y* w( H" r
Artoo!heexclaimed。Isthatyou?SittingsnuglyinthesocketthathadbeeninstalledforthesehelpfulR2unitswasthelittlebarrel-shapeddroid,hisheadpeekingfromthetopoftheship。ArtoohadscannedtheapproachingfigureandhadwhistledwithreliefwhenhiscomputersinformedhimitwasLuke。Theyoungcommanderwasequallyrelievedtoreencountertherobotthathadaccompaniedhimonsomanyofhispreviousadventures。
4 W0 y4 Z7 y8 K' D6 q, F* o Asheclimbedintothecockpitandseatedhimselfbehindthecontrols,LukecouldhearthesoundofWedgesfighterroaringintotheskytowardtheRebelrendezvouspoint。Activatethepowerandstopworrying。Wellsoonbeairborne,LukesaidinresponsetoArtoosnervousbeeping。 |