Secrets of Endor - DISCONTINUED

IV

The Captain of the Millennium Falcon seldom didn't know what he was doing. The ship had so many modifications and installments that it didn't matter what he did – she could fix herself. Since his return, though, Han Solo had already witnessed two problems with his old prized possession.

"Lando!" he shouted, announcing his entrance to the third hold. He banged on the side of the wall to wake his friend.

The darkness shadowed the room like the cape of Darth Vader. There was no seeing Calrissian, or anyone else, until the lighting came back. In space, everything was dark.

Solo heard a muffled question come from the floor of the open space. "This ship's got enough power to push us into the next galaxy. What else did ya you do to it?"

"I swear, Han, I didn't do anything." Lando sounded as though he were still half asleep.

From somewhere on the other side of the wall, Solo could hear his copilot's bellowing yowls of distress as he tried to fix the problem. Then, a familiar robotic voice. Treepio had rebooted himself.

"Oh dear, oh my!" the droid cried. "Chewbacca, how will we ever get out of this mess?!"

"Get up and help me and Chewie figure this mess out!" Han then ordered, kicking at the solid shape he sensed in front of him.

Then, the Corellian scurried out to the corridors. He half ran into Chewbacca on his way towards the cockpit; his friend had the same idea as he had.

"Chewie!" Han shouted in surprise. "Where's golden rod?"

A wail escaped the Wookie's throat, informing him that he left him in piloting position for when the electricity returned. Then, he complained that he couldn't see anything.

"Ahh, I know, Chewie, come on!" he called, tugging at the big fur ball's arm. "Lando's got this thing all cross wired. Even I don't know where to start." Han heard the Wookie's footsteps behind him as he headed toward the main hold. There, he could access the maintenance opening. "Hand me that circuit blaster, will ya?" He pointed at the tool kit he knew was located on the floor in the corner of the room.

Chewie confirmed the request and tossed him something that resembled a small welding tool after a few minutes of sorting through the tools in the dark. Han lifted the hatch on the floor, then caught it easily. He plunged into the dark hole, hoping he remembered where everything presented itself.

The circuit blaster worked like a flashlight, in short amounts of time. The end needed to heat up before it could take out any unnecessary wires, giving him a few moments of light.

While Solo searched for the quick fix, Lando found his way into the main hold behind the Wookie.

"I forgot to mention," he began. Chewbacca already started his complaints in fury, but Calrissian was forced to continue, anyway. "She took a pretty good hit coming down onto Tatooine."

"What do you mean 'a good hit'?"

Chewie gargled his side of the story, alerting Han that Lando had forgotten to alter the thrusters when he brought her down.

Lando didn't argue. "She took down on the port-side. Think she clipped the hatch."

"And you're just now telling me this?!"

Han was in disbelief. If the port-side was as bad as it sounded, it could blow the whole hatch off of the loading dock. Space was full of pressure. It was no wonder light speed had been so shaky; the weight on that side of his ship must have been bringing her down.

"She seemed to be flying all right," Lando answered.

Solo could feel the shrug through the darkness. Pulling himself back onto the main hold's floor, he felt around for the top of the hatch. He replaced it and covered the gaping hole on the floor.