“What do you mean blown away?” Luke demanded.
“Destroyed,” Obi-Wan said. “By the Empire.”
“The whole fleet couldn’t destroy an entire planet.” Zoe said disbelievingly. “It’d take more ships with more firepower than-“
“Another ship coming in,” Wash interrupted them. “Fast.” His eyes widened. “It’s an imperial ship.”
“They followed us?” Luke guessed.
The tie fighter zipped past the cockpit window. “No,” Wash said. “It’s a short range fighter. Must’ve gotten lost from a convoy or something.”
“Or the Empire’s still around.” Mal determined. “Wash where’s it headin’?”
“For that small moon.”
“Think we can get gone before it gets there?”
“That’s no moon.”
Everyone turned to look at Kenobi, whose face had gone pale. “It’s a space station.”
“Too big to be a space station.” Said Wash, hoping he was right.
“Wash I want us away. Make it happen.”
“No need to tell me twice.” The pilot said quickly, then added. “Even though you did.” He frowned as the ship refused to turn in the direction he wanted. He looked up at the less distant “moon” and gulped. “This could get interesting.”
“Why are we still moving towards it?” Luke shouted.
“I just remembered that I told you two to stay off the bridge. I’m thinkin’ it’s getting mighty crowded in here.”
“Tractor beam?” Zoe asked her husband, gripping his shoulder.
“Yeap.”
Obi-Wan allowed only five seconds of despair and guilt to wrack him. “I have a suggestion.”
Mal glared at the man who’d gotten them into this mess. “Good.”
*****
Lord Vader stared impassively at the ship resting in the docking bay. He did not look at the man giving the report, as he’d already guessed most of what the report would be.
“The ship matches the description of the vessel believed to be harboring River and Simon Tam. However according to the ship’s log, the crew and their passengers abandoned ship just after leaving Tatooine. One of the shuttles is gone, and there are no life-signs aboard.”
Vader waited a moment, letting the man sweat a bit. He was not known for his forgiveness when it came to bad news. As he’d suspected, River Tam was not aboard the ship. A day for double disappointments. Perhaps.
“Send a scanning crew aboard.” He ordered. “I want every inch of this ship checked.”
“Yes Lord Vader.”
“I sense something.” Vader thought. “A presence I’ve not felt since…”
*****
Simon stared out the window at the surface of the asteroid and swallowed. He turned to the others. Shepherd Book was sitting with his eyes shut, apparently praying, or meditating. Inara and Wash were both in the cockpit working together to keep the ship lost amongst the asteroids, but also trying not to be hit by one.
River sat huddled in the corner where she’d been ever since they’d boarded. She’d muttered something about the face of death, and had partially shut down. Going to her, he watched as she rocked back and forth. Though she flinched at first when he touched her shoulder, she relaxed into his embrace when she realized it was him.
“We’re going to be all right.” He said. “They’ll never think to look for us in here.”
“Voices,” she whispered. “Silenced. Barely enough time to be scared.”
*****
The hold of Serenity sat silent and empty, except for a few crates of supplies. A preliminary search of the ship had revealed no one aboard. Now the Storm-Troopers had left, awaiting the scanning crew that would be able to do a better job. Therefore there was no one to see part of the wall open up, and six humans, and two droids extricate themselves from the hidden compartment.
“Lucky you had these compartments Mal.” Luke said, a grudging respect in his voice.
“We use ‘em for smugglin’.” Mal answered, looking around carefully, his blaster drawn. “Never thought I’d be smugglin’ myself in ‘em.”
“Yeah well fat lotta good it did us.” Jayne said. “Even if we managed to get outta the hanger we’d never get past the tractor beam.”
“Just leave that to me.” Kenobi said confidently.
Jayne scowled at him. “Old fool I knew you were gonna say that.”
“Who’s the more foolish?” the Jedi retorted. “The fool or the fool who follows him?”
Jayne’s brow furrowed in confusion. “Huh?”
“We can argue semantics later.” Mal said. “You got any more in the way of suggestions Old Timer?”
Footsteps on the entrance ramp interrupted their conversation. Quickly ducking out of sight, they saw a scanning crew of two enter the ship. Mal whipped his head around and saw that the hidden compartment was hanging open, and he winced. A quick look at Zoe and Jayne and a jerk of his head conveyed his wishes. He and Zoe had worked together for so long that they hardly needed to speak when communicating. Jayne was just a seasoned ambusher who knew the best place to jump the Imps.
They made quick work of the Scanning crew, and hid their bodies behind some crates.
“Now what?” Jayne demanded.
Zoe was examining the uniforms of the two dead Imperials. “Maybe we need some disguises.” She suggested.
*****
“Hey down there!” a voice called from inside the ship. “Could you give us a hand with this?”
The two Storm Troopers standing guard shrugged and entered the hold to help. Two quick blaster shots brought them down.
“So, uhm,” Kaylee said, looking at the two downed troopers. “Who wears what?”
“I ain’t dressin’ up in no tin can.” Jayne said resolutely.
“I don’t think either of these is your size anyway.” Zoe pointed out.
Luke was already holding the helmet of one of the troopers. Mal looked at him, then at Kaylee.
“Kaylee you an’ me are now scanning techs. Zoe, get up in one o’ them armor suits. Luke, thanks for volunteerin’.”
“What?” Luke asked, surprised. “I didn’t-“
“Just do as he says Luke.” Obi-Wan said. “I think I know what Captain Reynolds has in mind.”
“TK-421 why aren’t you at your post?” a voice emanated from the Trooper helmet Luke was holding. Luke froze, staring in horror at the helmet. “How do I respond?” he asked desperately. “How do I even work this thing?”
Zoe took pity on him. “Just step outside and make it look like your transmitter’s not working.”
Luke nodded, donned the helmet, and stepped out into the bay, sweating.
“TK-421 respond.”
He looked up at the window overlooking the bay and saw what looked to be an officer staring intently at him. He knocked on the side of his helmet, then shrugged. The man nodded and turned away from the window. Quickly, the others exited, Mal and Kaylee carrying the scanning equipment, Zoe in her armor.
They met the officer halfway to the command post. He was about to speak when Jayne came up behind them and blasted him. Threepio and Artoo hurried after him as best they could.
Mal swore, and quickly ordered the rest to get into the command post and take it over, as quietly as possible.
“If you keep blasting everything in sight, and walkin’ around out in the open like this,” he said to Jayne. “It’ll be a wonder the whole station don’t know we’re here.”
“Bring ‘em on.” Jayne retorted as they entered the room just ahead, where Zoe had taken out the two techs with a minimum of fuss. “I prefer a strait fight to all this sneakin’ around.”
Meanwhile, Obi-Wan Kenobi strode calmly past them into the command post. “Perhaps we can continue this discussion behind closed doors?” he called over his shoulder. Jayne and Mal, though loath to agree with anything the old Jedi said, followed.
“Artoo,” Kaylee said. “Why don’t you patch into the computer and find out how to shut down the tractor beam.”
Artoo dutifully set about doing just that. A few beeps and whistles confirmed his success.
“He says,” Kaylee started.
“I beg your pardon Miss Kaylee,” Threepio huffed. “Artoo is my counterpart. It is my duty to translate what he says.”
“Sorry.”
“Quite all right. Artoo says that the tractor beam is powered by the main generators, and linked to them in three locations. A power loss at any one of them will allow us to escape. He’ll try to make the precise location appear on the monitor.”
“I don’t suppose it would be as easy as shuttin’ it down from here.” Mal guessed.
“I’m afraid not Captain Reynolds.” Threepio replied apologetically. “Though it does appear that the controls for the hanger bay force fields are contained herein.”
Artoo brought the locations of the tractor beam controls up, and Obi-Wan studied them. “I’ll shut down the tractor beam.” He said, heading for the door. Luke started to follow. “No Luke, you stay here.”
“But I want to come with you.” The farm boy protested. “Your destiny lies down a different path than mine. Stay with the droids. They must reach the alliance, or all that has happened will be for naught.” With that, he was gone.
“Yer old man’s nuts kid.” Jayne said.
“Have to agree there.” Mal said. “Much as I hate to do it. Where’d you dig up that old fossil?”
“Ben is a great man.” Luke challenged.
“Yeah.” Mal said. “Great at gettin’ us into trouble.”
Artoo suddenly began to whistle loudly.
“Can’t you shut him up?” Jayne said. “Turn down the volume on ‘im or somethin’?”
“What’s wrong?” Zoe asked.
“I’m not quite sure.” Threepio said. “He keeps saying `I’ve found her`, and `she’s here`.”
“Found who?” Luke asked. “Who has he found?”
“Princess Leia.” Kaylee answered.
“The Princess?!” Luke leaped to the droids’ sides. “She’s here?”
“Princess?” Mal asked. “Someone want to explain some?”
“The droids belong to her.” Luke said quickly. “She’s a member of the rebel alliance. Threepio can he find out exactly where she is?”
“I believe so Master Luke.” A low beep from Artoo caught his attention. “Oh dear.”
“What?” Mal asked. “What Oh dear?”
“I’m afraid that she’s scheduled to be…terminated.”