A massive hand closed around the man’s neck and lifted him off the deck. The rebel officer’s eyes bulged, but he kept his silence. And Imperial officer, his armored helmet shoved back to reveal a recent scar where and energy beam had penetrated his shielding, scrambled down out of the fighter’s control room, shaking his head briskly. "Nothing, sir. Information retrieval system’s been wiped clean." Darth Vader acknowledged this news with a barely perceptible nod. The impenetrable mask turned to regard the officer he was torturing. Metal0clad fingers contracted. Reaching up, the prisoner desperately tried to pry them loose, but to no avail. "Where is the data you intercepted?" Vader rumbled dangerously. "What have you done with the information tapes?" "We—intercepted—no information," the dangling officer gurgled, barely able to breathe. From somewhere deep within, he dredged up a squeal of outrage. "This is a …councilor vessel… Did you not see our mission." "Chaos take your mission!" Vader growled. "Where are those tapes!" He squeezed harder, the threat in his grip implicit. When he finally replied, the officer’s voice was a bare, choked whisper. "Only … the Commander knows." "This ship carries the system crest of Alderaan," Vader growled, the gargoyle- like breath mask leaning close. "Is any of the royal family on board? Who are you carrying?" Thick fingers tightened further, and the officer’s struggles became more and more frantic. His last words were muffled and choked past intelligibility. Vader was not pleased. Even though the figure went limp with an awful, unquestionable finality, that hand continued to tighten, producing a chilling snapping and popping of bone, like a dog padding on plastic. Then with a disgusted wheeze Vader finally threw the doll-form of the dead man against a far wall. Several Imperial troops ducked out of the way just in time to avoid the grisly missile. The massive form whirled unexpectedly, and Imperial officers shrank under that baleful sculptured component by component, until you find those tapes. As for the passengers, if any, I want them alive." He paused a moment, then added, "Quickly!" Officers and men nearly fell over themselves in their haste to leave—not necessarily to carry out Vader’s orders, but simply to retreat from that malevolent presence. Artoo Detoo finally came to a halt in an empty corridor devoid of smoke and the signs of battle. A worried, confused Threepio pulled up behind him. "You’ve led us through half the ship, and to what…?" He broke off, staring in disbelief as the squat robot reached up with one clawed limb and snapped the seal on a lifeboat hatch. Immediately a red warning light came on and a low hooting sounded in the corridor. Threepio looked wildly in all directions, but the passageway remained empty. When he looked back, Artoo was already working his way into the cramped boat pod. It was just large enough to hold several humans, and its design was not laid out to accommodate mechanicals. Artoo had some trouble negotiating the awkward little compartment. "Hey," a startled Threepio called, admonishing, "you’re not permitted in there! It’s restricted to humans only. We just might be able to convince the Imperials that we’re not rebel programmed and are too valuable to break up, but if someone sees you in there we haven’t got a chance. Come on out." Somehow Artoo had succeeded in wedging his body into position in front of the miniature control board. He cocked his body slightly and threw a stream of loud beeps and whistles at his reluctant companion.