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'There is a grave disturbance in the Force,' the Emperor said.

'I have felt it,' the Dark Lord replied solemnly.

The Emperor emphasized the danger as he continued. 'Our situation is most precarious. We have a new enemy who could bring about our destruction.'

'Our destruction? Who?'

'The son of Skywalker. You must destroy him, or he will be our undoing.'

Skywalker!

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 asset. 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 passed 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 cockpit 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 cockpit 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