Bounty hunters! Among the most reviled of the galaxy's inhabitants, this cla.s.s of amoral money-grubbers included members of every species. It was a repellent occupation, and it often attracted repellent creatures to its fold. Some of these creatures had been summoned by Darth Vader and now stood with him on the bridge of his Imperial Star Destroyer.

Admiral Piett observed this motley group from a distance as he stood with one of Vader's captains. They saw that the Dark Lord had invited a particularly bizarre a.s.sortment of fortune hunters, including Bossk, whose soft, baggy face gawked at Vader with huge bloodshot orbs. Next to Bossk stood Zuckuss and Dengar, two human types, battle-scarred by innumerable, unspeakable adventures. A battered and tarnished chromecolored droid named IG-88 was also with the group, standing next to the notorious Boba Fett. A human bounty hunter, Fett was known for his extremely ruthless methods. He was dressed in a weapon-covered, armored s.p.a.cesuit, the kind worn by a group of evil warriors defeated by the Jedi Knights during the Clone Wars. A few braided scalps completed his unsavory image. The very sight of Boba Fett sent a shudder of revulsion through the admiral.

'Bounty hunters!' Piett said with disdain. 'Why should he bring them into this? The Rebels won't escape us.'

Before the captain could reply, a ship's controller rushed up to the admiral. 'Sir,' he said urgently, 'we have a priority signal from the Star Destroyer Avenger.'

Admiral Piett read the signal, then hurried to inform Darth Vader. As he approached the group, Piett heard the last of Vader's instructions to them. 'There will be a substantial reward for the one who finds the Millennium Falcon,' he was saying. 'You are free to use any methods necessary, but I want proof. No disintegrations.'

The Sith Lord stopped his briefing as Admiral Piett hurried to his side.

'My lord,' the admiral whispered ecstatically, 'we have them!'

= X =.

THE Avenger had spotted the Millennium Falcon the moment the freighter shot out of the enormous asteroid.

From that moment, the Imperial ship renewed its pursuit of the freighter with a blinding barrage of fire. Undaunted by the steady rain of asteroids on its ma.s.sive hull, the Star Destroyer relentlessly followed the smaller ship.

The Millennium Falcon, far more maneuverable than the other ship, darted around the larger asteroids as they came rocketing toward it. The Falcon was succeeding in holding its lead in front of the Avenger, but it was clear that the steadily pursuing ship was not about to abandon the chase.

Suddenly a gigantic asteroid appeared in the Millennium Falcon's path, rushing toward the freighter at incredible speed. The ship quickly banked out of the way, and the asteroid hurtled past it, only to explode harmlessly against the Avenger's hull.

Han Solo glimpsed the explosion's flare through the front window of his ship's c.o.c.kpit. The craft that followed them seemed absolutely invulnerable; but he had no time to reflect on the differences between the ships. It took everything in his power to maintain control of the Falcon as it was pelted by Imperial cannon fire.

Princess Leia tensely watched the asteroids and cannon fire flaring in the blackness of s.p.a.ce outside the c.o.c.kpit windows. Her fingers had tightened on the arms of her chair. Silently she hoped against hope that they would emerge from this chase alive.

Carefully following the bleeping images on a tracking scope, See Threepio turned to Han. 'I can see the edge of the asteroid field, sir,' he reported.

'Good,' Han replied. 'Soon as we're clear, we'll kick this baby into hyperdrive.' He was confident that within moments the pursuing Star Destroyer would be left light-years behind. The repairs in the freighter's light-speed systems had been completed, and there was nothing left to do now but get the ship free of the asteroid field and into s.p.a.ce, where it could blast away to safety.

There was an excited Wookiee bark as Chewbacca, looking out a c.o.c.kpit window, saw that the asteroid density was already decreasing. But their escape could not yet be completed, for the Avenger was closing in, and the bolts from its laser cannons bombarded the Falcon, making it lurch and carom to one side.

Han rapidly adjusted the controls and brought his ship back on an even keel. And in the next instant, the Falcon zoomed out of the asteroid field and entered the peaceful, star-dotted silence of deep s.p.a.ce. Chewbacca whined, joyful that they were at last out of the deadly field - but eager to leave the Star Destroyer far behind.

'I'm with you, Chewie,' Han responded. 'Let's vacate the area. Stand by for light-speed. This time they get the surprise. Hang on...'

Everyone braced themselves as Han pulled back on the light-speed throttle. But it was the crew of the Millennium Falcon, and most of all the captain himself, that got the surprise, once again--nothing happened.

Nothing!

Han frantically pulled back the throttle again.

The ship maintained its sublight speed.

'This isn't fair!' he exclaimed, beginning to panic.

Chewbacca was furious. It was rare that he lost his temper with his friend and captain. But now he was exasperated and roared his fury in angry Wookiee growls and barks.

'Couldn't be,' Han replied defensively, as he looked at his computer screens and quickly noted their readings. 'I checked the transfer circuits.'

Chewbacca barked again.

'I tell you, this time it's not my fault. I'm sure I checked it.'

Leia sighed deeply. 'No light-speed?' in a tone that indicated she had expected this catastrophe, too.

'Sir,' See Threepio interjected, 'we've lost the rear deflector shield. One more direct hit on the back quarter and we're done for.'

'Well,' Leia said, as she glared at the captain of the Millennium Falcon, 'what now?'

Han realized he had only one choice. There was no time to plan or to check computer readouts, not with the Avenger already out of the asteroid field and rapidly gaining on them. He had to make a decision based on instinct and hope. They really had no alternative.

'Sharp bank, Chewie,' he ordered and pulled back a lever as he looked at his copilot. 'Let's turn this bucket around.'

Not even Chewbacca could fathom what Han had in mind. He barked in bewilderment - perhaps he hadn't heard the order quite right.

'You heard me!' Han yelled. 'Turn around! Full power front shield!' This time there was no mistaking his command and, though Chewbacca couldn't comprehend the suicidal maneuver, he obeyed.

The princess was flabbergasted. 'You're going to attack them!' she stammered in disbelief. There wasn't a chance of survival now, she thought. Was it possible that Han really was crazy?

Threepio, after running some calculations through his computer brain, turned to Han Solo. 'Sir, if I might point out, the odds of surviving a direct a.s.sault on an Imperial Star Destroyer are-Chewbacca snarled at the golden droid, and Threepio immediately shut up. No one on board really wanted to hear the statistics, especially since the Falcon was already banking into a steep turn to begin its course into the erupting storm of Imperial cannon fire.

Solo concentrated intently on his flying. It was all he could do to avoid the barrage of flak bursts rocketing toward the Falcon from the Imperial ship. The freighter bobbed and weaved as Han, still heading directly for the Star Destroyer, steered to avoid the bolts.

No one on his tiny ship had the slightest idea what his plan might be.

'He's coming in too low!' the Imperial deck officer shouted, though he scarcely believed what he was seeing.

Captain Needa and the Star Destroyer crew rushed to the Avenger's bridge to watch the suicidal approach of the Millennium Falcon, while alarms blared all over the vast Imperial ship. A small freighter could not do much damage if it collided against a Star Destroyer's hull; but if it smashed through the bridge windows, the control deck would be littered with corpses.

The panicked tracking officer reported his sighting. 'We're going to collide!'

'Shields up?' Captain Needa asked. 'He must be insane!'

'Look out!' the deck officer yelled.

The Falcon was headed straight for the bridge window and the Avenger crew and officers fell to the floor in terror. But at the last instant, the freighter veered up sharply. Then-Captain Needa and his men slowly lifted their heads. All they saw outside the bridge windows was a peaceful ocean of stars.

'Track them,' Captain Needa ordered. 'They may come around for another pa.s.s.'

The tracking officer attempted to find the freighter on his scopes. But there was nothing to find.

'That's strange,' he muttered.

'What is it?' Needa asked, walking over to look at the tracking monitors for himself.

'The ship doesn't appear on any of our scopes.'

The captain was perplexed. 'It couldn't have disappeared. Could a ship that small have a cloaking device?'

'No, sir,' the deck officer answered. 'Maybe they went into light-speed at the last minute.'

Captain Needa felt his anger mounting at about the same rate as his befuddlement. 'Then why did they attack? They could have gone into hypers.p.a.ce when they cleared the asteroid field.'

'Well, there's no trace of them, sir, no matter how they did it,' the tracking officer replied, still unable to locate the Millennium Falcon on his viewers. 'The only logical explanation is that they went into light-speed.'

The captain was staggered. How had that crate of a ship eluded him?

An aide approached. 'Sir, Lord Vader demands an update on the pursuit,' he reported. 'What should he be told?'

Needa braced himself. Letting the Millennium Falcon get away when it was so close was an unforgiveable error, and he knew he had to face Vader and report his failure. He felt resigned to whatever punishment waited in store for him.

'I am responsible for this,' he said. 'Get the shuttle ready. When we rendezvous with Lord Vader, I will apologize to him myself. Turn around and scan the area one more time.'

Then, like a living behemoth, the great Avenger slowly began to turn; but there was still no sign of the Millennium Falcon.

The two glowing b.a.l.l.s hovered like alien fireflies above Luke's body lying motionless in the mud. Standing protectively next to his fallen master, a little barrel-shaped droid periodically extended a mechanical appendage to swat at the dancing objects as if they were mosquitoes. But the hovering b.a.l.l.s of light leaped just out of the robot's reach.

Artoo Detoo leaned over Luke's inert body and whistled in an effort to revive him. But Luke, stunned unconscious by the charges of these energy b.a.l.l.s, did not respond. The robot turned to Yoda, who was sitting calmly on a tree stump, and angrily began to beep and scold the little Jedi Master.

Getting no sympathy from him, Artoo turned back to Luke. His electronic circuits told him there was no use trying to wake Luke with his little noises. An emergency rescue system was activated within his metal hull and Artoo extended a small metal electrode and rested it on Luke's chest. Uttering a quiet beep of concern, Artoo generated a mild electrical charge, just strong enough to jolt Luke back to consciousness. The youth's chest heaved, and he awoke with a start.

Looking dazed, the young Jedi student shook his head clear. He looked around him, rubbing his shoulders to ease the ache from Yoda's seeker b.a.l.l.s' attack. Glimpsing the seekers still suspended over him, Luke scowled. Then he heard Yoda chuckling merrily nearby, and turned his glare on him.

'Concentration, heh?' Yoda laughed, his lined face creased with enjoyment. 'Concentration!'

Luke was in no mood to return his smile. 'I thought those seekers were set for stun!' he exclaimed angrily.

'That they are,' the amused Yoda answered.

'They're a lot stronger than I'm used to.' Luke's shoulder ached painfully.

'That would not matter were the Force flowing through you,' Yoda reasoned. 'Higher you'd jump! Faster you'd move!' he exclaimed. 'Open yourself to the Force you must.'

The youth was beginning to feel exasperated with his arduous training, although he had only been at it a short time. He had felt very close to knowing the Force - but so many times he had failed and had realized how very far away it was from him still. But now Yoda's goading words made him spring to his feet. He was tired of waiting so long for this power, weary at his lack of success, and increasingly infuriated by Yoda's cryptic teachings.

Luke grabbed his laser sword from the mud and quickly ignited it.

Terrified, Artoo Detoo scurried away to safety.

'I'm open to it now!' Luke shouted. 'I feel it. Come on, you little flying blasters!' With fire in his eyes, Luke poised his weapon and moved toward the seekers. Immediately they zipped away and retreated to hover over Yoda.

'No, no,' the Jedi Master scolded, shaking his h.o.a.ry head. 'This will not do. Anger is what you feel.'

'But I feel the Force!' Luke protested vehemently.

'Anger, anger, fear, aggression!' Yoda warned. 'The dark side of the Force are they. Easily they flow ... quick to join in a fight. Beware, beware, beware of them. A heavy price is paid for the power they bring.'

Luke lowered his sword and stared at Yoda in confusion. 'Price?' he asked. 'What do you mean?'

'The dark side beckons,' Yoda said dramatically. 'But if once start you down the dark path, forever will it dominate your destiny. Consume you it will... as it did Obi-Wan's apprentice.'

Luke nodded. He knew who Yoda meant. 'Lord Vader,' he said. After he thought for a moment, Luke asked, 'Is the dark side stronger?'

'No, no. Easier, quicker, more seductive.'

'But how am I to know the good side from the bad?' he asked, puzzled.

'You will know,' Yoda answered. 'When you are at peace ... calm, pa.s.sive. A Jedi uses the Force for knowledge. Never for attack.'

'But tell me why-' Luke began.

'No! There is no why. Nothing more will I tell you. Clear your mind of questions. Quiet now be - at peace ..." Yoda's voice trailed off, but his words had a hypnotic effect on Luke. The young student stopped protesting and began to feel peaceful, his body and mind relaxing.

'Yes ...' Yoda murmured, 'calm.'

Slowly Luke's eyes closed as he let his mind clear of distracting thoughts.

'Pa.s.sive..."

Luke heard Yoda's soothing voice as it entered the receptive darkness of his mind. He willed himself to travel along with the master's words to wherever they might lead.

'Let yourself go When Yoda perceived that Luke was as relaxed as the young student could be at this stage, he made the tiniest of gestures. As he did, the two seeker b.a.l.l.s above his head shot toward Luke, firing stun bolts as they moved.

In that instant Luke sprang to life and ignited his laser sword. He leaped to his feet and, with pure concentration, began deflecting the bolts as they spun toward him. Fearlessly he faced the attack, and moved and dodged with extreme grace. His leaps into the air, as he jumped to meet the bolts, were higher than any he had achieved before. Luke wasted not a single motion as he concentrated only on every bolt as it sped his way.

Then, as suddenly as it had begun, the seeker attack was over. The glowing b.a.l.l.s returned to hover on either side of their master's head.

Artoo Detoo, the ever-patient observer, let out an electronic sigh and shook his metal dome-head.

Grinning proudly, Luke looked toward Yoda.

'Much progress do you make, young one,' the Jedi Master confirmed. 'Stronger do you grow.' But the little instructor would not compliment him more than that.

Luke was full of pride at his marvelous achievement. He watched Yoda, expectantly waiting for further praise from him. But Yoda did not move or speak. He sat calmly - and then two more seeker b.a.l.l.s floated up behind him and moved into formation with the first two.

Luke Skywalker's grin began to melt away.

A pair of white-armored stormtroopers lifted Captain Needa's lifeless form from the floor of Darth Vader's Imperial Star Destroyer.

Needa had known that death was the likely consequence of his failure to capture the Millennium Falcon. He had known, too, that he had to report the situation to Vader and make his formal apology. But there was no mercy for failure among the Imperial military. And Vader, in disgust, had signaled for the captain's death.