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CHAPTER NINE

"Calm down, you hairy oaf!" Han shouted at Chewbacca, who was howling with sorrow and rage. He shook his head. Was there anything more pathetic than a weeping Wookiee?

"Luke's gone," he said, choking on the words. "There's nothing we can do about that. We have to focus on saving ourselves."

Chewbacca let out a few more snuffling hoots, but he followed Han deeper into the research station. According to the map, they weren't far from the docking bay. If they found a working ship, they'd be off the planet in no time. If not…well, Han decided not to think about that until he had to.

Just like he wouldn't think about Luke, swallowed up by that giant beast. Gone forever. All because Han had turned his back for a moment, had let Luke die.

Focus, Han reminded himself angrily. Escape first, guilt later.

They stuck to the plan, crept through the dark corridors, eyes and ears peeled for anything out of the ordinary. For slurping tentacles, for gnashing teeth, for drops of water spattering to the floor. Han gripped his blaster almost hoping that the creature would find them. It had taken Luke—and for that, it deserved to die.

But the station was silent, the corridors empty. Their footsteps echoed. Their breath fogged in the chill air. It began to seem like they were wandering in circles, like they would be trapped in the hollow station forever. They rounded a corner, and there it was: the docking bay.

"Ships!" Han cried. Of course, from the look of things, they barely deserved the name.

But he knew from experience that you couldn't judge a ship by its rusty frame. Plenty of fools had underestimated the Millennium Falcon.

The Kaminoans had left behind only their oldest, most battle-scarred ships, but at least a handful of them looked to be spaceworthy. Han spotted two Howlrunners with minimal scorching on the hull. Behind them, coated in grime, was an ARC-170 fighter, a distant ancestor of the Rebel X-wings. Those hadn't been flown since the Clone Wars, and rumor had it they'd been the ship of choice for the Republic's top pilots. Han had always wanted to take one for a spin. He didn't know what a ship like this would be doing way out on Kamino, but he wasn't about to let the opportunity go to waste.

Han jerked his head toward one of the Howlrunners. "Chewie, you check that one. I'll take the ARC."

It took only moments to figure out the rudimentary control system. The ship wouldn't have the power or the maneuverability of the X-wing, but the hyperdrive was powerful enough to make it back to Yavin 4, and that was all that mattered. He powered up the engines and navigational systems. Everything checked out. System diagnostics didn't indicate any problems. Chewbacca reported the same about the Howlrunner.

"You know what this means don't you, buddy?" Han exclaimed. "We're going home."

Chewbacca barked a mournful reply.

"You're right," Han said quietly. " Some of us are going home."

Sorry, kid, he thought, a silent apology to Luke. Wish you were coming with us.

But Luke would remain on Kamino forever.

They couldn't take off without retrieving R2-D2, even though it meant risking another face-to-face with the dripping sea monster. They made it back to the central computer terminal safely. There was just one problem: R2-D2 had plans of his own. And they didn't include the docking bay.

"I said, let's go, you rustbucket!" Han shouted for a third time. But the little astromech droid just beeped and wheeled in exuberant circles. It was like his logic circuits had melted. He beeped again, louder this time, then rolled halfway down the hall before spinning around and returning to Han. His manipulator arm zig-zagged through the air.

Chewbacca growled.

"I know he's trying to tell me something," Han snapped. "I just don't know what." And he wasn't in the mood for guessing games. Maybe the little guy was just upset about Luke being missing. "Come on, pal," he said in a gentler voice, trying not to lose his temper.

"Whatever you have to tell us, it can wait."

R2-D2 beeped something that could have been a yes; then