Star Wars_ Episode VI_ Return of the Jedi - James Kahn [36]
On the hill adjacent to the clearing, the Rebel contingent was just beginning to make its way up a steep trail. Leia, Chewie, Han, and Luke led the way, followed in single file by the raggedy, helmeted squad of the strike team. This unit was composed of the elite groundfighters of the Rebel Alliance. A scruffy bunch in some ways, they’d each been hand-picked for initiative, cunning, and ferocity. Some were trained commandos, some paroled criminals—but they all hated the Empire with a passion that exceeded self-preservation. And they all knew this was the crucial raid. If they failed to destroy the shield generator here, the Rebellion was doomed. No second chances.
Consequently, no one had to tell them to be alert as they made their way silently up the forest path. They were, every one, more alert than they had ever been.
Artoo-Detoo and See-Threepio brought up the rear of the brigade. Artoo’s domed pate swiveled ’round and ’round as he went, blinking his sensor lights at the infinitely tall trees which surrounded them.
“Beee-doop!” he commented to Threepio.
“No, I don’t think it’s pretty here,” his golden companion replied testily. “With our luck, it’s inhabited solely by droid-eating monsters.”
The trooper just ahead of Threepio turned around and gave them a harsh “Shush!”
Threepio turned back to Artoo, and whispered, “Quiet, Artoo.”
They were all a bit nervous.
Up ahead, Chewie and Leia reached the crest of the hill. They dropped to the ground, crawled the last few feet, and peered over the edge. Chewbacca raised his great paw, signaling the rest of the group to stop. All at once, the forest seemed to become much more silent.
Luke and Han crawled forward on their bellies, to view what the others were observing. Pointing through the ferns, Chewie and Leia cautioned stealth. Not far below, in a glen beside a clear pool, two Imperial scouts had set up temporary camp. They were fixing a meal of rations and were preoccupied warming it over a portable cooker. Two speeder bikes were parked nearby.
“Should we try to go around?” whispered Leia.
“It’ll take time,” Luke shook his head.
Han peeked from behind a rock. “Yeah, and if they catch sight of us and report, this whole party’s for nothing.”
“Is it just the two of them?” Leia still sounded skeptical.
“Let’s take a look,” smiled Luke, with a sigh of tension about to be released; they all responded with a similar grin. It was beginning.
Leia motioned the rest of the squad to remain where they were; then she, Luke, Han, and Chewbacca quietly edged closer to the scout camp.
When they were quite near the clearing, but still covered by underbrush, Solo slid quickly to the lead position. “Stay here,” he rasped, “Chewie and I will take care of this.” He flashed them his most roguish smile.
“Quietly,” warned Luke, “there might be—”
But before he could finish, Han jumped up with his furry partner and rushed into the clearing.
“—more out there,” Luke finished speaking to himself. He looked over at Leia.
She shrugged. “What’d you expect?” Some things never changed.
Before Luke could respond, though, they were distracted by a loud commotion in the glen. They flattened to the ground and watched.
Han was engaged in a rousing fist fight with one of the scouts—he hadn’t looked so happy in days. The other scout jumped on his speeder bike to escape. But by the time he’d ignited the engines, Chewie was able to get off a few shots from his crossbow laser. The ill-fated scout crashed instantly against an enormous tree; a brief, muffled explosion followed.
Leia drew her laser pistol and raced into the battle zone, followed closely by Luke. As soon as they were running clear, though, several large laser blasts went off all around them, tumbling them to the ground. Leia lost her gun.
Dazed, they both looked up to see two more Imperial scouts emerge from the far side of the clearing,