Han jams the throttle wide open, then says, “Give me more power, Chewie!”
The Wookiee groans a harsh protest.
“I know we can’t out-tug a Star Destroyer, but it never hurts to try.”
Chewbacca obediently adjusts the power dampeners on the sublight drives. A tremendous white whistles up the access corridor from the straining engines. The Falcon hangs motionless for a moment – then slips toward the Avenger.
Chewbacca opens the power dampeners further. The freighter holds its position. Han realizes that with each passing second, the Avenger secures its beam hold a bit more. “We’ve got to open the dampeners all the way!” Han yells, reaching for the co-pilot’s controls.
Wookiees are frightening creatures, especially on the rare occasions when they feel threatened. Chewbacca instinctively growls and bares his teeth at Han. He clearly thinks Han has lost his mind and intends to destroy the Falcon before allowing the Avenger to capture it.
Han withdraws his hand. “Just do it, okay?”
Chewbacca nods. With a last, lingering glance at the cockpit and his best friend, the Wookiee grimaces and opens the power dampeners wide.
The Falcon shoots toward the Executor, the screams of its over-stressed sublight engines echoing through the hull. The Wookiee roars in glee, then closes the dampeners to a safer level. On his flight computer, Han watches the TIE blips rush to cut off his escape route. It will be close.
An instant later, dozens of energy bolts flare ahead, creating a storm of multicolored death that overshadows even the Widow’s menacing darkness. The Falcon lurches as if she has struck a cosmic spiderweb. The Avenger has loosed a warning turbolaser salvo! As the brilliant energy bursts fade, even the Executor rocks gently from the nearby concussion.
“Fire again!” yells the pilot. If he can lure one Imperial Star Destroyer into atomizing another, Han will feel no grief.
Chewbacca points to the flight computer and snarls. The TIE fighters drew back when the Avenger fired!
Han aims the Falcon directly at the Executor’s belly. She streaks within 200 meters of the mighty ship – too close for the Super Star Destroyer’s weapons to target. The Avenger dares not fire, either, for fear of hitting her flagship.
The Falcon passes beneath the Executor’s immense bulk. The TIE fighters circle as aimlessly as trapped insects, searching in vain for the freighter. Fortunately for Han, the Corellian vessel’s white body camouflages her from visual sighting and her proximity to the Executor renders instrumental scans useless.
Three seconds later, the Falcon flashes from beneath the destroyer and is lost in the inky blackness of the nebula. Nothing can find her now.