The perfect place for an ambush.
Luke felt his stomach tighten. The perfect place for an ambush … except that if it was obvious to him, it must be obvious to the stormtroopers, as well.
And it was. The vanguard of the party had reached the square now, and as the stormtroopers moved out of the confines of the narrow avenue, each lifted his blaster rifle a little higher and moved a little farther apart from his fellows. They were expecting an ambush, all right. And they were expecting it right here.
Gritting his teeth, Luke focused again on the archway. “Is Threepio here?” he muttered to Han.
He sensed Han’s frown, but the other didn’t waste time with unnecessary questions. “He’s with Lando, yeah.”
Luke nodded and glanced down to his right. Beside him, Artoo was rolling along the bumpy street, trying hard to keep up. Bracing himself, Luke took a step in that direction—
And with a squeal, Artoo tripped over Luke’s outstretched foot and fell flat with a crash.
Luke was crouched beside him in an instant, leaning over him as he struggled with his manacled hands to get the little droid upright again. He sensed some of the stormtroopers moving forward to assist, but for that single moment, there was no one else close enough to hear him. “Artoo, call to Threepio,” he breathed into the droid’s audio receptor. “Tell him to wait until we’re at the archway to attack.”
The droid complied instantly, its loud warble nearly deafening Luke as he crouched there beside him. Luke’s head was still ringing when rough hands grabbed him under the arms and hauled him to his feet. He regained his balance—
To find the major standing in front of him, a suspicious scowl on his face. “What was that?” the other demanded.
“He fell over,” Luke told him. “I think he tripped-“
“I meant that transmission,” the major cut him off harshly. “What did he say?”
“He was probably telling me off for tripping him,” Luke shot back. “How should I know what he said?”
For a long minute the major glared at him. “Move out, Commander,” he said at last to the stormtrooper at his side. “Everyone stay alert.”
He turned away, and they started walking again. “I hope,” Han murmured from beside him, “you know what you’re doing.”
Luke took a deep breath and fixed his eyes on the archway ahead. “So do I,” he murmured back.
In a very few minutes, he knew, they would both find out.
Chapter 29
“Oh, my!” Threepio gasped. “General Calrissian, I have-“
“Quiet, Threepio,” Lando ordered, peering carefully around the edge of the window at the minor commotion going on across the square. “Did you see what happened, Aves?”
Crouched down beneath the windowsill, Aves shook his head. “Looked like Skywalker and his droid both fell over,” he said. “Couldn’t tell for sure-too many stormtroopers in the way.”
“General Calrissian-“
“Quiet, Threepio.” Lando watched tensely as two stormtroopers pulled Luke to his feet, then righted Artoo. “Looks like they’re okay.”
“Yeah.” Aves reached down to the floor beside him, picked up the small transmitter. “Here we go. Let’s hope everyone’s ready.”
“And that Chin and the others aren’t still carrying their blasters,” Lando added under his breath.
Aves snorted. “They aren’t. Don’t worry-stormtroopers are always confiscating other people’s weapons.”
Lando nodded, adjusting his grip on his blaster, wishing they could get this over with. Across the way, the Imperials seemed to have gotten themselves sorted out and were starting to move again. As soon as they were all inside the square, away from any possible cover …
“General Calrissian, I must speak to you,” Threepio insisted. “I have a message from Master Luke.”
Lando blinked at him. “From Luke?”
-but even as he said it he suddenly remembered that electronic wail from Artoo just after he’d fallen over. Could that have been-? “What is it?”
“Master Luke wants you to hold off the attack,” Threepio said, obviously relieved that someone was finally listening to him. “He says you’re to wait until the stormtroopers are at the arch before firing.”
Aves twisted around. “What? That’s crazy. They outnumber us three to one-we give them any chance at all at cover and they’ll cut us to pieces.”
Lando looked out the window, grinding his teeth together. Aves was right-he knew enough of ground tactics to realize that. But on the other hand … “They’re awfully spread out out there,” he said. “Cover or no cover, they’re going to be hard to take out. Especially with those speeder bikes on their perimeter.”