“Let’s stowaway,” Luke says. “We’d be foolish fighting through that net INTO prison, and I don’t want to turn myself in.”
“All righty, that means we’re heading out to that supply depot the guide was so proud of.” The prospector quietly leads the party back towards the Rockcan, and they lift off.
Sneaking aboard a supply shuttle turns out to be easier than expected. The traffic at 76,095 Poe is so heavy that Gideon lands in a crowded hangar without trouble. Supply barges and shuttls of all sizes rest in haphazard order on a 1,000 acre floor. After they put down the belly ramp, a Droid approaches and asks, “What is your cargo?”
“TIE parts,” Luke answers.
“Shop number?”
Gideon shakes his head. “Didn’t give us one. Just said to bring the load over here.”
The Droid pauses. “Procedure must be followed properly. Next time, accept no order without a destination number. Understand?”
“Yes,” Luke answers.
“You are priority number 607. Go to loading dock G-79 in six hours. We’ll confirm the order there.”
“What do we do in the meantime?” Gideon demands.
“Whatever you like,” the Droid responds. “The Poe cantina is open at all hours – but don’t be late to your dock. You’ll lose your priority number.”
“Sure thing,” Gideon responds. “This is too easy,” he whispers to Luke.
After the Droid leaves, they unbuckle their blasters, lock Gideon’s scow, and go to the closest dock. A dozen laborers are hand-loading the contents of a small shuttle into an immense barge. Luke approaches the foreman. “They said you need help.”
“Who said that?” the foreman snaps, turning to study the hangar floor.
“Don’t get mad at me.” Luke points at a Droid resembling the one that greeted them. “Him.”
“Oh,” the foreman answers. “Blasted mechanicals! Always telling you one thing and doing another. Okay, get to work.”
Luke, Gideon, and Sidney join the laborers shuffling boxes from the shuttle to the barge. Artoo-Detoo wheels himself aboard and parks himself next to a line of other Droids. After 20 minutes of works, Luke leads the way deep into the barge and selects a hiding place between two rows of immense crates.
Three hours later, the foreman seals the cargo bay and the barge lifts off. In the dark, the trip to Tol Ado passes slowly but without incident. Finally, the barge decelerates and lands on the planet. This is the first time in weeks Luke has been in full gravity; his knees feel weak and uncertain.
Nevertheless, when the barge doors open, he steps out ahead of Gideon and Sidney. Each of the stowaways tries to simulate stupidity while carrying a box. Then astonished laborers and two stormtroopers greet them.
“Special delivery for the command center,” Luke says.
The laborers look at him dumbly, but one trooper eventually asks, “What is it?”
Luke shrugs, hoping the miner and the Pada behind him are looking equally blank. “They don’t want us to know. Who gets it?”
The stormtrooper looks across the docking bay. “Give it to the dockmaster.”
The three of them walk off the loading dock. When Artoo follows, the stormtrooper points his blaster rifle at the Droid. Artoo whistles.
“That’s part of the package,” Luke says.
“Why didn’t you say so?” The Imperial lets the Droid pass.
Luke presents the three cartons to the dockmaster then asks, “Where can we wait for a return barge?”
Without looking up, the dockmaster points around the corner. “There’s a pilot’s lounge.”
“Thanks,” Luke says. He leads the way around the corner. Sidney looks about to speak, but the young Rebel holds up a hand for silence. Instead of entering the pilot’s lounge, he opens a door leading out of the docking bay. It opens into a long, white corridor. He steps through, then signals the others to follow him.