[Galaxy Of Fear] - 06(25)

Tash continued to concentrate.

“I thought you said something about me,” the first soldier growled.

The second soldier looked at his partner. “Are you calling me a liar?”

“I’m telling you not to talk about me!”

Tash turned away from the viewport. “Now, Zak.”

Beside her, Zak held the two wires that were connected to Deevee’s chestplate. Touching them together, he jabbed the wires into the small panel that controlled the door.

Sparks flew, electricity crackled, and the panel short-circuited. The door slid open.

Outside, the two stormtroopers were shoving one another. One of them struck the other on the side of the head, sending his partner crashing to the ground.

“Run!” Zak said.

The three prisoners dashed out of the cargo ship, past the fighting stormtroopers, and across the stony ground. By the time any of the other troopers in the Imperial camp saw what was happening, Zak, Tash, and Deevee had reached the ramp leading into the Millennium Falcon. As they entered the ship, Zak slapped the control panel, raising the hatch and locking them inside.

“Come on!” Tash yelled. “It’s not going to take them long to get in here. “

They scrambled into the Falcon’s cockpit. The ship’s controls were a jumble of old and new equipment welded together. It looked like a disorganized mess, but somehow, they knew, Han Solo had turned that mess into the fastest ship in the galaxy.

“Where are the shields?” Tash demanded.

“Here!” Zak said, throwing a switch.

One of the landing legs retracted. Thrown off balance, the Falcon groaned and tilted over to one side.

“Sorry,” Zak groaned. “Try this one!”

He threw another switch, and the deflector shield indicators went on to full power, just as the advancing stormtroopers brought their weapons to bear.

Tash ran her hands over the controls. They were like nothing she’d ever seen before. “Where would the repulsor switches be?”

“I recommend that you hurry,” Deevee urged. “I believe that dark figure approaching the ship is Darth Vader.”

Tash felt herself start to panic. “Think, Tash, think. Han Solo flies this ship. He’s kind of arrogant, but he’s an expert pilot. Think like him.” Tash closed her eyes. She’d already called on the Force once today. She might as well try again. Calming her thoughts, she put herself in Han’s place. A daring pilot, probably running from the Empire all the time. He’d keep the engine controls within easy reach.

With her eyes still closed, she reached out with her right hand. Her fingers found one switch among twenty, and she flipped it.

The repulsor engines whined to life, and the Millennium Falcon leaped off the ground.

“Excellent work, Tash!” Deevee cheered. “Now if we can only locate the forward thrusters.”

“Right here,” Zak said. “I watched Han do this the last time we were aboard.”

Zak grabbed a control stick and jammed it forward. There was a loud roar and a surge of power, and the Falcon rocketed into the sky.

“We did it!” Tash laughed as the ship sped quickly across the surface of the planet. “Now we need to find Uncle Hoole. Does either of you know how to work the scanners?”

“No need,” her brother said. He pointed out the viewport. Ahead of them, and below, lay a shallow valley filled with shadows. “That has to be where the wraiths had us.”

Zak and Tash worked together to steer the Falcon down toward the valley. The ship made a loud thud and bounced twice on its landing legs before coming to a stop.

Even before the Falcon had completed its landing, Zak said, “I’ll be right back,” and ran back toward the ship’s engines.

“Not the best landing in the galaxy,” Tash grunted, “but it’ll do.”

Deevee said, “I estimate that it will take the Imperials slightly over ten minutes to get here on foot. We don’t have much time.”

“Let’s just hope Uncle Hoole’s still alive,” Tash replied. She and Deevee ran back toward the hatchway. “Come on, Zak!” Tash yelled.

Zak was standing at the ship’s engineering station, tinkering with some equipment. “I’m almost finished!” he yelled.

“There’s no time for messing around!” she fumed. “Go ahead. I’ll be right behind you!” he called back. Tash had no time to argue. She and Deevee charged forward and plunged into the shadows.

It was like stepping from day into night. They could barely see, and the farther they walked into the shadowy place, the less light they found to see by.

“I may be able to help,” Deevee whispered. Something clicked inside his metallic head, and his photoreceptors lit up, casting a pale light into the darkness. It didn’t penetrate very far, but it was better than being totally blind.