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After what seemed like forever, he caught hold of an electronic weather vane that jutted out from the bowllike underside of Cloud City. Winds buffeted him and clouds swirled around him as he held on tightly to the weather vane. But his strength was beginning to fail; he didn't think he could hang like this - suspended above the gaseous surface - for very much longer.

All was very quiet in the Millennium Falcon cockpit.

Leia, just catching her breath from their close escape, sat in Han Solo's chair. Thoughts of him rushed to her mind, but she tried not to worry about him, tried not to miss him.

Behind the princess, looking over her shoulder out the front windscreen, stood a silent and exhausted Lando Calrissian.

Slowly the ship began to move, picking up speed as it coursed along the landing platform.

The giant Wookiee, in his old copilot's chair, threw a series of switches that brought a dancing array of lights across the ship's main control panel. Pulling the throttle, Chewbacca began to guide the ship upward, to freedom.

Clouds rushed by the cockpit windows and everyone finally breathed with relief as the Millennium Falcon soared into a red-orange twilight sky.

Luke managed to hook one of his legs over the electronic weather vane, which continued to support his weight. But air from the exhaust pipe rushed at him, making it difficult for him to keep from slipping off the vane.

'Ben ...' he moaned in agony.'... Ben.'

Darth Vader strode onto the empty landing platform and watched the speck that was the Millennium Falcon disappear in the far distance.

He turned to his two aides. 'Bring my ship in!' he commanded. And then he left, black robes flowing behind him, to prepare for his journey.

Somewhere near the supporting stalk of Cloud City, Luke spoke again. Concentrating his mind on one whom he thought cared for him and might somehow come to his aid, he called, 'Leia, hear me.' Pitifully he cried out once again. 'Leia.'

Just then, a large piece of the weather vane broke off and went hurtling off into the clouds far below. Luke tightened his grip on what remained of the vane, and strained to hold on in the blast of air rushing at him from the pipe above.

'It looks like three fighters,' Lando said to Chewbacca as they watched the computer-screen configurations. 'We can outdistance them easily,' he added, knowing the capabilities of the freighter as well as Han Solo did.

Looking at Leia, he mourned the passing of his administratorship. 'I knew that setup was too good to last,' he moaned. 'I'm going to miss it.'

But Leia seemed to be in a daze. She didn't acknowledge Lando's comments, but stared straight ahead of her as if transfixed. Then, out of her dreamlike trance, she spoke. 'Luke,' she said, as if responding to something she heard.

'What?' Lando asked.

'We've got to go back,' she said urgently. 'Chewie, head for the bottom of the city.'

Lando looked at her in astonishment. 'Wait a minute. We're not going back there!'

The Wookiee barked, for once in agreement with Lando.

'No argument,' Leia said firmly, assuming the dignity of one accustomed to having her orders obeyed. 'Just do it. That's a command!'

'What about those fighters?' Lando argued as he pointed to the three TIE fighters closing in on them. He looked to Chewbacca for support.

But, growling menacingly, Chewbacca conveyed that he knew who was in command now.

'Okay, okay,' Lando quietly acquiesced.

With all the grace and speed for which the Millennium Falcon was famed, the ship banked through the clouds and turned back toward the city. And, as the freighter continued on what could become a suicide run, the three pursuing TIE fighters matched its turn.

Luke Skywalker was unaware of the Millennium Falcon's approach. Barely conscious, he somehow maintained his hold on the creaking and swaying weather vane. The device bent under the weight of his body, then completely broke off from its foundation, and sent Luke tumbling helplessly through the sky. And this time, he knew, there