The thought was impossible. How could the Emperor be concerned with this insignificant youth?

'He's not a Jedi,' Vader reasoned. 'He's just a boy. Obi-Wan could not have taught him so much that-The Emperor broke in. 'The Force is strong in him,' he insisted. 'He must be destroyed.'

The Dark Lord reflected a moment. Perhaps there was another way to deal with the boy, a way that might benefit the Imperial cause. 'If he could be turned, he would be a powerful ally,' Vader suggested.

Silently the Emperor considered the possibility.

After a moment, he spoke again. 'Yes ... yes,' he said thoughtfully. 'He would be a great a.s.set. Can it be done?'

For the first time in their meeting, Vader lifted his head to face his master directly. 'He will join us,' he answered firmly, 'or die, my master.'

With that, the encounter had come to an end. Vader kneeled before the Galactic Emperor, who pa.s.sed his hand over his obedient servant. In the next moment, the holographic image had completely disappeared, leaving Darth Vader alone to formulate what would be, perhaps, his most subtle plan of attack.

The indicator lights on the control panel cast an eerie glow through the quiet c.o.c.kpit of the Millennium Falcon. They softly lit Princess Leia's face as she sat in the pilot's chair, thinking about Han. Deep in thought, she ran her hand along the control panel in front of her. She knew something was churned up within her, but wasn't certain that she was willing to acknowledge it. And yet, could she deny it?

Suddenly her attention was attracted by a flurry of movement outside the c.o.c.kpit window. A dark shape, at first too swift and too shadowy to identify, streaked toward the Millennium Falcon. In an instant it had attached itself to the ship's front window with something that looked like a soft suction cup. Cautiously Leia moved forward for a closer look at the black smudgelike shape. As she peered out the window, a set of large yellow eyes suddenly popped open and stared right at her.

Leia started in shock and stumbled backward into the pilot's seat. As she tried to compose herself, she heard the scurry of feet and an inhuman screech. Suddenly the black shape and its yellow eyes disappeared into the darkness of the asteroid cave.

She caught her breath, leaped up out of the chair, and raced to the ship's hold.

The Falcon's crew was finishing its work on the ship's power system. As they worked, the lights flickered weakly, then came on and stayed on brightly. Han finished reconnecting the wires, and began setting a floor panel back in place while the Wookiee watched See Threepio complete his work at the control panel.

'Everything checks out here,' Threepio reported. 'If I might say so, I believe that should do it.'

Just then, the princess rushed breathlessly into the hold.

'There's something out there!' Leia cried.

Han looked up from his work. 'Where?'

'Outside,' she said, 'in the cave.'

As she spoke, they heard a sharp banging against the ship's hull. Chewbacca looked up and let out a loud bark of concern.

'Whatever it is sounds like it's trying to get in,' Threepio observed worriedly.

The captain began to move out of the hold. 'I'm going to see what it is,' he announced.

'Are you crazy?' Leia looked at him in astonishment.

The banging was getting louder.

'Look, we just got this bucket going again,' Han explained. 'I'm not about to let some varmint tear it apart.'

Before Leia could protest, he had grabbed a breath mask off a supply rack and pulled it down over his head. As Han walked out, the Wookiee hurried up behind him and grabbed his own face mask. Leia realized that, as part of the crew, she was duty-bound to join them.

'If there's more than one,' she told the captain, 'you're going to need help.'

Han looked at her affectionately as she removed a third breath mask and placed it over her lovely, but determined, face.

Then the three of them rushed out, leaving the protocol droid to complain pitifully to the empty hold: 'But that leaves me here all alone!'

The darkness outside the Millennium Falcon was thick and dank. It surrounded the three figures as they carefully moved around their ship. With each step they heard unsettling noises, squishing sounds, that echoed through the dripping cavern.

It was too dark to tell where the creature might be hiding. They moved cautiously, peering as well as they could into the deep gloom. Suddenly Chewbacca, who could see better in the dark than either his captain or the princess, emitted a m.u.f.fled bark and pointed toward the thing that moved along the Falcon's hull.

A shapeless leathery ma.s.s scurried over the top of the ship, apparently startled by the Wookiee's yelp. Han leveled his blaster at the creature and blasted the thing with a laser bolt. The black shape screeched, stumbled, then fell off the s.p.a.ceship, landing with a thud at the princess's feet.

She leaned over to get a better look at the black ma.s.s. 'Looks like some kind of Mynock,' she told Han and Chewbacca.

Han glanced quickly around the dark tunnel. 'There will be more of them,' he predicted. 'They always travel in groups. And there's nothing they like better than to attach themselves to ships. Just what we need right now!'

But Leia was more distracted by the consistency of the tunnel floor. The tunnel itself struck her as peculiar; the smell of the place was unlike that of any cave she had ever known. The floor was especially cold and seemed to cling to her feet.

As she stamped her foot against the floor, she felt the ground give a bit beneath her heel. 'This asteroid has the strangest consistency,' she said. 'Look at the ground. It's not like rock at all.'

Han knelt to inspect the floor more closely and noted how pliable it was. As he studied the floor, he tried to make out how far it reached and to see the contours of the cave.

'There's an awful lot of moisture in here,' he said. He looked up and aimed his hand blaster at the far side of the cave, then fired toward the sound of a screeching Mynock in the distance; as soon as he shot the bolt, the entire cavern began to shake and the ground to buckle. 'I was afraid of that,' he shouted. 'Let's get out of here!'

Chewbacca barked in agreement, and bolted toward the Millennium Falcon. Close behind him, Leia and Han rushed toward the ship, covering their faces as a swarm of Mynocks flew past them. They reached the Falcon and ran up the platform into the ship. As soon as they were on board, Chewbacca closed the hatch after them, careful that none of the Mynocks could slip inside.

'Chewie, fire her up!' Han yelled as he and Leia darted through the ship's hold. 'We're getting out of here!'

Chewbacca hurriedly lumbered to his seat in the c.o.c.kpit, while Han rushed to check the scopes on the hold control panel.

Leia, running to keep up, warned, 'They would spot us long before we could get up to speed.'

Han didn't seem to hear her. He checked the controls, then turned to rush back to the c.o.c.kpit. But as he pa.s.sed her, his comment made it clear he had heard every word. 'There's no time to discuss this in committee.'

And with that he was gone, racing to his pilot's chair, where he began working the engine throttles. The next minute the whine of the main engines resounded through the ship.

But Leia hurried after him. 'I am not a committee,' she shouted indignantly.

It didn't appear that he heard her. The sudden cave-quake was beginning to subside, but Han was determined to get his ship out -and out fast.

'You can't make the jump to light-speed in this asteroid field,' she called over the engine roar.

Solo grinned at her over his shoulder. 'Strap yourself in, sweetheart,' he said, 'we're taking off!'

'But the tremors have stopped!'

Han was not about to stop his ship now. Already the craft moved forward, quickly pa.s.sing the craggy walls of the tunnel. Suddenly Chewbacca barked in horror as he stared out the front windscreen.

Directly in front of them stood a jagged white row of stalact.i.tes and stalagmites completely surrounding the cave's entrance.

'I see it, Chewie,' Han shouted. He pulled hard on the throttle, and the Millennium Falcon surged forward. 'Hang on!'

'The cave is collapsing,' Leia screamed as she saw the entrance ahead grow smaller.

'This is no cave.'

'What?!'

Threepio began jabbering in terror. 'Oh, my, no! We're doomed. Good-bye, Mistress Leia. Good-bye, Captain.'

Leia's mouth dropped open as she stared at the rapidly approaching tunnel opening.

Han was right; they were not in a cave. As they came nearer the opening, it was apparent that the white mineral formations were giant teeth. And it was very apparent that, as they soared out of this giant mouth, those teeth were beginning to close!

Chewbacca roared.

'Bank, Chewie!'

It was an impossible maneuver, but Chewbacca responded immediately and once again accomplished the impossible. He rolled the Millennium Falcon steeply on its side, tilting the ship as he accelerated it between two of those gleaming white fangs. And not a second too soon, for just as the Falcon flew from that living tunnel, the jaws clamped shut.

The Falcon sped through the rocky crevice of the asteroid, pursued by a t.i.tanic s.p.a.ce slug. The enormous pink bulk didn't intend to lose its tasty meal and pushed itself out of its crater to swallow the escaping ship. But the monster was too slow. Within another moment the freighter had soared out, away from the slimy pursuer and into s.p.a.ce. As it did so, the ship plunged into yet another danger: The Millennium Falcon had re-entered the deadly asteroid field.

Luke was panting, nearly out of breath in this, the latest of his endurance tests. His Jedi taskmaster had ordered him out on a marathon run through the dense growth of his planet's jungle. Not only had Yoda sent Luke on the exhausting run, but he had invited himself along for the ride. As the Jedi-in-training puffed and sweated his way on his rugged race, the little Jedi Master observed his progress from a pouch strapped to Luke's back.

Yoda shook his head and muttered to himself disparagingly about the youth's lack of endurance.

By the time they returned to the clearing where Artoo Detoo was patiently waiting, Luke's exhaustion had nearly overcome him. As he stumbled into the clearing, Yoda had yet another test planned for him.

Before Luke had caught his breath, the little Jedi on his back tossed a metal bar in front of Luke's eyes. In an instant Luke ignited his laser sword and swung frantically at the bar. But he was not fast enough, and the bar fell - untouched - onto the ground with a thud. Luke collapsed on the wet earth in complete exhaustion. 'I can't,' he moaned,'... too tired.'

Yoda, who showed no sign of sympathy, retorted, 'It would be in seven pieces, were you a Jedi.'

But Luke knew that he was not a Jedi - not yet, anyway. And the rigorous training program devised by Yoda had left him nearly out of breath. 'I thought I was in good shape,' he gasped.

'Yes, but by what standard, ask I?' the little instructor quizzed. 'Forget your old measures. Unlearn, unlearn!'

Luke truly felt ready to unlearn all his old ways and willing to free himself to learn all this Jedi Master had to teach. It was rigorous training, but as time pa.s.sed, Luke's strength and abilities increased and even his skeptical little master began to see hope. But it was not easy.

Yoda spent long hours lecturing his student about the ways of the Jedi. As they sat under the trees near Yoda's little house, Luke listened intently to all the master's tales and lessons. And as Luke listened, Yoda chewed on his Gimer Stick, a short twig with three small branches at the far end.

And there were physical tests of all kinds. In particular, Luke was working hard to perfect his leap. Once he felt ready to show Yoda his improvement. As the master sat on a log next to a wide pond, he heard the loud rustling of someone approaching through the vegetation.

Suddenly Luke appeared on the other side of the pond, coming toward the water at a run. As he approached the sh.o.r.e, he made a running leap toward Yoda, rising high above the water as he hurtled himself through the air. But he fell short of the other side and landed in the water with a loud splash, completely soaking Yoda.

Yoda's blue lips turned down in disappointment.

But Luke was not about to give up. He was determined to become a Jedi and, no matter how foolish he might feel in the attempt, would pa.s.s every test Yoda set for him. So he didn't complain when Yoda told him to stand on his head. A bit awkwardly at first, Luke inverted his body and, after a few wobbly moments, was standing firmly on his hands. It seemed he had been in this position for hours, but it was less difficult than it would have been before his training. His concentration had improved so much that he was able to maintain a perfect balance - even with Yoda perched on the soles of his feet.

But that was only part of the test. Yoda signaled Luke by tapping on his leg with his Gimer Stick. Slowly, carefully, and with full concentration, Luke raised one hand off the ground. His body wavered slightly with the weight shift - but Luke kept his balance, and, concentrating, started to lift a small rock in front of him. But suddenly a whistling and beeping R2 unit came rushing up to his youthful master.

Luke collapsed, and Yoda jumped clear of his falling body. Annoyed, the young Jedi student asked, 'Oh, Artoo, what is it?'

Artoo Detoo rolled about in frantic circles as he tried to communicate his message through a series of electronic chirps. Luke watched as the droid scooted to the edge of the swamp. He hurried to follow and then saw what it was the little robot was trying to tell him.

Standing at the water's edge, Luke saw that all but the tip of the X-wing's nose had disappeared beneath the water's surface.

'Oh, no,' moaned Luke. 'We'll never get it out now.'

Yoda had joined them, and stamped his foot in irritation at Luke's remark. 'So sure are you?' Yoda scolded. 'Tried have you? Always with you it can't be done. Hear you nothing that I say?' His little wrinkled face puckered with a furious scowl.

Luke glanced at his master, then looked doubtfully toward the sunken ship.

'Master,' he said skeptically, 'lifting rocks is one thing, but this is a little different.' Yoda was really angry now. 'No! No different!' he shouted. 'The differences are in your mind. Throw them out! No longer of use are they to you.'

Luke trusted his master. If Yoda said this could be done, then maybe he should try. He looked at the downed X-wing and readied himself for maximum concentration. 'Okay,' he said at last, 'I'll give it a try.'

Again he had spoken the wrong words. 'No,' Yoda said impatiently. 'Try not. Do, do. Or do not. There is no try.'

Luke closed his eyes. He tried to envision the contours, the shape, to feel the weight of his X-wing fighter. And he concentrated on the movement it would make as it rose from the murky waters.

As he concentrated, he began to hear the waters churn and gurgle, and then begin to bubble with the emerging nose of the X- wing. The tip of the fighter was slowly lifting from the water, and it hovered there for a moment, then sank back beneath the surface with a loud splash.

Luke was drained and had to gasp for breath. 'I can't,' he said dejectedly. 'It's too big.'

'Size has no meaning,' Yoda insisted. 'It matters not. Look at me. Judge me by my size, do you?'

Luke, chastened, just shook his head.

'And well you shouldn't,' the Jedi Master advised. 'For my ally is the Force. And a powerful ally it is. Life creates it and makes it grow. Its energy surrounds us and binds us. Luminous beings we are, not this crude matter,' he said as he pinched Luke's skin.

Yoda made a grand sweeping gesture to indicate the vastness of the universe about him. 'Feel it you must. Feel the flow. Feel the Force around you. Here,' he said, as he pointed, 'between you and me and that tree and that rock.'

While Yoda gave his explanation of the Force, Artoo spun his domed head around, trying without success to register this 'Force' on his scanners. He whistled and beeped in bafflement.

'Yes, everywhere,' Yoda continued, ignoring the little droid, 'waiting to be felt and used. Yes, even between this land and that ship!'

Then Yoda turned and looked at the swamp, and as he did the water began to swirl. Slowly, from the gently bubbling waters, the nose of the fighter appeared again.

Luke gasped in astonishment as the X-wing gracefully rose from its watery tomb and moved majestically toward the sh.o.r.e.

He silently vowed never to use the word 'impossible' again. For there, standing on his tree root pedestal, was tiny Yoda, effortlessly gliding the ship from the water onto the sh.o.r.e. It was a sight that Luke could scarcely believe. But he knew that it was a potent example of Jedi mastery over the Force.

Artoo, equally astounded but not so philosophical, issued a series of loud whistles, then bolted off to hide behind some giant roots.

The X-wing seemed to float onto the beach, and then gently came to a stop.

Luke was humbled by the feat he had witnessed and approached Yoda in awe. 'I...' he began, dazzled. 'I don't believe it.'

'That,' Yoda stated emphatically, 'is why you fail.'

Bewildered, Luke shook his head, wondering if he would ever rise to the station of a Jedi.