Han stops abruptly.
The rear guard stumbles. Spinning, the smuggler grabs the man, then trips the surprised trooper over his extended leg. He finishes the maneuver by throwing his victim into the leading trooper’s legs. Both fall to the floor.
Chewbacca chooses a different tactic. He reaches back with a massive arm and grabs the trooper behind him, then swings around and smashes his captive into the fron guard’s back. The wookiee’s great strength sends both men sprawling.
Han quickly snatches a blaster rifle and cold-cocks his two guards. Chewbacca smashes the helmets of his victims together. When the first blow does not knock them unconscious, he repeats it. There is a hollow clunk and both men’s heads roll slackly on their necks.
Han smiles. He didn’t expect Ozzel to be this obvious. Perhaps the Admiral is not quite as clever as the pilot first believed.
The two smugglers each take a blaster rifle and run into the hangar. The Millennium Falcon still sits there. Its access ramp hangs open, and a single guard stands at the base of the ramp. His blaster rifle remains slung over his shoulder; he obviously expects no trouble.
“Too good to be true,” Han says. He points the blaster rifle at the guard and pulls the trigger. The trooper fumbles with his slung weapon for a moment then flees when Han fires again.
Although an unseen watcher triggers an alarm, nobody else challenges the pair. As Han and Chewbacca run up the ramp. the hangar’s massive hyperspace doors begin drawing closed. The doors normally protect the hangar’s atmosphere during supralight travel, when the energy used to power the electromagnetic force field is diverted to the hyperdrive systems. Han notes with satisfaction that the great doors move no faster than a Rigorian mudeater.
Chewbacca raises the ramp while Han prepares for take-off. By the time he has activated the repulsor drive, a platoon of stormtroopers is firing at the Falcon with light weapons. Their blaster rifles do not penetrate the freighter’s hull. Han activates the antipersonnel blaster cannon to keep them at a distance.
Chewie utters a warning.
“Okay, I’m coming,” Han responds. He swings the Falcon around to face the hangar entrance. The hyperspace doors are nearly closed. “He wants to make this look good, doesn’t he?” the pilot mumbles. For a moment, he doubts his assessment of Ozzel’s plan.
Han accelerates and the Falcon shoots forward. She slips between teh hyperspace doors an instant before they close. Han loops over the Executor’s back and streaks into the inky camouflage of the Black Widow Nebula. The Imperials have not even launched the first TIE pursuer.
Chewbacca bellows his joy.
“Too easy,” says Han. “Ozzel let us escape. My guess is we’ve got more beacon transponders planted on us than a rogue planet signal station. Sweep us clean while I find a way through this gunk.”
Chuckling, the Wookiee adds a comment.
“Ozzel had me scared, too,” Han admits. “But nobody beats Han Solo at his own game!”
Three transponders and sixteen hours later, the Falcon exits the nebula. Its next stop will be the Aldo Spachian Comet – without the Avenger or the Executor on its tail!