AnotherexplosionrockedtheRebelhangardeck,crackingtheceilingandalmostburyingthedockedMillenniumFalconinamoundofice。Atanymomenttheentireceilingmightcavein。theonlysafeplaceinthehangarseemedtobeunderneaththeshipitselfwhereChewbaccawasimpatientlyawaitingthereturnofhiscaptain。TheWookieehadbeguntoworry。IfHandidnotreturnsoon,theFalconwouldsurelybeburiedinatombofice。ButloyaltytohispartnerkeptChewiefromtakingoffinthefreighteralone。
' @ h' t- U% B Asthehangarstartedtotremblemoreviolently,Chewbaccadetectedmovementintheadjoiningchamber。Throwingbackhishead,theshaggygiantfilledthehangarwithhisloudestroarashesawHanSoloclimboverhillsoficeandsnowandenterthechamber,followedcloselybyPrincessLeiaandanobviouslynervousSee-Threepio。
, x! r# X/ e1 D2 c0 C" d Notfarfromthehangar,Imperialstormtroopers,theirfacesshieldedbywhitehelmetsandwhitesnowscreens,hadbegunmovingdowndesertedcorridors。Withthemstrodetheirleader,thedark-robedfigurewhosurveyedtheshamblesthathadbeentheRebelbaseatHoth。DarthVadersblackimagestoodoutstarklyagainstthewhitewalls,ceiling,andfloor。Ashemovedthroughthewhitecatacombs,heregallysteppedasidetoavoidafallingsectionoficeceiling。Thenhecontinuedonhiswaywithsuchquickstridesthathistroopshadtohurrytokeepup。3 r2 x2 N. t( d. k1 |9 {
Alowwhine,risinginpitch,begantoissuefromthesaucer-shapedfreighter。( u9 s& L7 L1 q6 \! i
HanSolostoodatthecontrolsintheMillenniumFalconscockpit,atlastfeelingathome。Hequicklyflippedoneswitchafteranother,expectingtoseetheboardflashitsfamiliarmosaicoflight;butonlysomeofthelightswereworking。) b9 s7 T" a" H& b
ChewbaccahadalsonoticedsomethingamissandbarkedwithconcernasLeiaexaminedagaugethatseemedtobemalfunctioning。
1 q, z3 `+ H& g1 X- b/ I Howsthat,Chewie?askedHananxiously。% Y# X1 z, I5 Y: [
TheWookieesbarkwasdistinctlynegative。
$ i. `/ B. V* B d: p WouldithelpifIgotoutandpushed?snappedPrincessLeia,whowasbeginningtowonderifitweretheCorellian AnotherexplosionrockedtheRebelhangardeck,crackingtheceilingandalmostburyingthedockedMillenniumFalconinamoundofice。Atanymomenttheentireceilingmightcavein。theonlysafeplaceinthehangarseemedtobeunderneaththeshipitselfwhereChewbaccawasimpatientlyawaitingthereturnofhiscaptain。TheWookieehadbeguntoworry。IfHandidnotreturnsoon,theFalconwouldsurelybeburiedinatombofice。ButloyaltytohispartnerkeptChewiefromtakingoffinthefreighteralone。3 ^& q1 V' }- t2 `: l
Asthehangarstartedtotremblemoreviolently,Chewbaccadetectedmovementintheadjoiningchamber。Throwingbackhishead,theshaggygiantfilledthehangarwithhisloudestroarashesawHanSoloclimboverhillsoficeandsnowandenterthechamber,followedcloselybyPrincessLeiaandanobviouslynervousSee-Threepio。* s: ]- [% q' [, |
Notfarfromthehangar,Imperialstormtroopers,theirfacesshieldedbywhitehelmetsandwhitesnowscreens,hadbegunmovingdowndesertedcorridors。Withthemstrodetheirleader,thedark-robedfigurewhosurveyedtheshamblesthathadbeentheRebelbaseatHoth。DarthVadersblackimagestoodoutstarklyagainstthewhitewalls,ceiling,andfloor。Ashemovedthroughthewhitecatacombs,heregallysteppedasidetoavoidafallingsectionoficeceiling。Thenhecontinuedonhiswaywithsuchquickstridesthathistroopshadtohurrytokeepup。6 F8 o5 F7 v4 L
Alowwhine,risinginpitch,begantoissuefromthesaucer-shapedfreighter。8 c! P0 ~5 z$ I6 @- B- t7 `
HanSolostoodatthecontrolsintheMillenniumFalconscockpit,atlastfeelingathome。Hequicklyflippedoneswitchafteranother,expectingtoseetheboardflashitsfamiliarmosaicoflight;butonlysomeofthelightswereworking。. B3 D4 g4 X0 h- {+ m: W
ChewbaccahadalsonoticedsomethingamissandbarkedwithconcernasLeiaexaminedagaugethatseemedtobemalfunctioning。; |/ R0 {$ f! D0 K* F- @
Howsthat,Chewie?askedHananxiously。
+ J/ o1 c- M- D7 S! | TheWookieesbarkwasdistinctlynegative。7 T$ Y. g* {7 E& Y
WouldithelpifIgotoutandpushed?snappedPrincessLeia,whowasbeginningtowonderifitweretheCorellian sspitthatheldtheshiptogether。( c) V- y- e" D+ ]% `9 I" O
Dontworry,YourHoliness。Illgetitstarted。See-Threepioclankedintotheholdand,gesturing,triedtogetHansattention。
& p+ V# A9 ?$ Z; a& y Sir,therobotvolunteered,IwaswonderingifImightButhisscannersreadthescowlonthefacestaringathim。Itcanwait,heconcluded。 |