Darth Vader, a raven specter, quickly strode through the ruins of the Rebel ice fortress, forcing his accompanying men into a brisk jog to keep up. As they moved through the corridors, Admiral Piett rushed up to overtake his master.
"Seventeen ships destroyed," he reported to the Dark Lord. "We don’t know how many got away." Without turning his head, Vader snarled through his mask, "The Millennium Falcon?" Piett paused a moment before replying. He would have preferred to avoid that issue. "Our tracking scanners are on it now," he responded a bit fearfully.
Vader turned to face the admiral, his towering figure looming over the frightened officer. Piett felt a chill course through his veins, and when the Dark Lord spoke again his voice conveyed an image of the dreadful fate that would be inflicted if his commands were not executed.
"I want that ship," he hissed.
The ice planet was rapidly shrinking to a point of dim light as the Millennium Falcon sped into space. Soon that planet seemed nothing more than one of the billions of light specks scattered throughout the black void.
But the Falcon was not alone in its escape into deep space. Rather, it was followed by an Imperial fleet that included the Avenger Star Destroyer and a half-dozen TIE fighter. The fighters moved ahead of the huge, slower-moving Destroyer, and closed in on the fleeing Millennium Falcon.
Chewbacca howled over the roar of the Falcon’s engines. The ship was beginning to lurch with the buffeting flak blasted at it by the fighters.
"I know, I know, I see them," Han shouted. It was taking everything he had to maintain control of the ship.
"See what?" Leia asked.
Han pointed out the window at two very bright objects.
"Two more Star Destroyers, and they’re heading right at us." "I’m glad you said there was going to be no problem," she commented with more than a touch of sarcasm, "or I’d be worried." The ship rocked under the steady fire from the TIE fighters making it difficult for Threepio to maintain his balance as he returned to the cockpit. His metal skin bumped and banged against the walls as he approached Han. "Sir," he began tentatively, "I was wondering…" Han Solo shot him a threatening glance. "Either shut up or shut down." Han warned the robot, who immediately did the former.
Still struggling with the controls to keep the Millennium Falcon on course, the pilot turned to Wookiee. "Chewie, how’s the deflector shield holding up?" The cockpit adjusted an overhead switch and barked a reply that Solo interpreted as positive.
"Good," said Han. "At sublight, they may be faster, but we can still out-maneuver them. Hold on!" Suddenly the Corellian shifted his ship’s course.
The two Imperial Star Destroyers had com almost within firing range of the Falcon as they loomed ahead. the pursuing TIE fighters and the Avenger were also dangerously close. Han felt he had no choice but to take the Falcon into a ninety-degree dive.
Leia and Chewbacca felt their stomachs leap into their throats as the Falcon executed its steep dive. Poor Threepio quickly had to alter his inner mechanism if he wanted to remain on his metallic fee.
Han realized that his crew might think he was some kind of lunatic star jockey, pushing his ship on this madman’s course. But he had a strategy in mind. With the Falcon no longer between them, the two Star Destroyers were now on a direct collision course with the Avenger. All he had to do was sit back and watch.