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:: An ongoing episodic story of fan-fic set after Episode VI Return of the Jedi, and inspired by George Lucas' historical draft concepts ::
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VE Episode XI : Han leads an ambush, Leia races in to help !
30th June 2026 |
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| As I did with the progression of the Virtual Edition Episode X, I will post below sections of the prose for Episode XI as I draft it.... here, Han and Chewie instigate an ambush to help the Imperial Scientist, Professor Floydwood, to escape, while Leia offers help in her inimitable way too....
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The two Z-75 Imperial speeder bikes whined to a halt under cover of a factory overhang, not far from the P3 factory yard. Large containers stood nearby and provided additional cover.
The bikes were an open design like most Imperial-standard scouters, but carried a second seat with handrail, and bulky pannion containers either side, allowing for more mundane urban duties. There was a single standard issue small-range light cannon affixed to the underside for nominal offensive pursuit. Perched on the seats, Han and Chewie, his helmet discarded earlier, regarded the view ahead to the factory entrance. The yard and building were crawling with stormtroopers.
Han rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
“I guess it shouldn’t be a surprise,” he muttered ruefully. “With all the drama we kicked up back at the professor’s place, they’ve got a headstart on us here.”
The Wookiee growled and pointed with his head.
“Yeah, I see them.”
The glint of sunlight on white metal suits revealed soldiers in sniper positions on the roof lines of not only the P3 factory, but adjoining buildings in the immediate vicinity. On the open yard, phalanxes of troopers stood in formation whilst others marched a circuit.
“But we gotta get the professor out of here. We can’t lose this opportunity now.”
Chewie gave a low short bark.
“Well, suicide mission or not, we’ve got to do something.”
Chewie harrumphed, patted the bike under him and pointed out at the yard several times.
“Yeah, I had the same thought, pal, but I didn’t want to assume. But if you hit them hard, and take the flak with your sword, keep it off me, I might get a chance to grab him...”
Just then, the double doors marking the entrance to P3 slid open, and yet more stormtroopers stepped out, this time escorting a column of about twenty workers.
Han and Chewie watched them march across the yard between the stationary phalanxes, and, as they were halfway, a shuttle-bus speeder approached from the left and whined to a halt, descending to the ground as it did so. A waiting phalanx of troopers moved into a sentry position near the shuttle. Its thrumming repulsors remained on as doors opened and the workers stepped aboard.
Han shook his head.
“Hmm, they’re taking no chances, are they ?”
The workers were hurried on board and the bus doors slid shut. The repulsors whined as the speeder lifted, and it arced away. The sentry troopers snapped to attention and returned to their waiting position.
“Well this is going to be interesting...” muttered Han, and Chewie growled quietly in agreement.
“Would you like some extra help, sweetheart ?” a familiar voice softly asked to his left.
Han glanced over, a smile lighting up his face and eyes. Leia’s twinkling brown eyes looked up at his.
“Oh, Leia, you’re a sight for sore eyes !” He dipped his chin. “I’ve missed you !”
He leaned in and gave his wife a quick kiss on the lips. Leia lifted her chin to meet him.
As she broke away, Leia gave a warm but brief smile, and then her face creased into concentration as she engaged with their strategy.
“Now, as soon as the professor appears we’ve got to get him out of here in one piece, and you’re going to need all the help you can get. Chewie’s got the right idea, and with the Force he can handle the bike and the sword. I can pop up in the centre over there, and help draw their attention.”
Chewie harrumphed and nodded eagerly.
“You sure, pal ?” replied Han. When the Wook nodded again, Leia confirmed his strategy.
“Chewie’ll intercept the shuttle-bus, then, and I’ll occupy those sentry troopers waiting out there. Han, you blast your way in and grab him.”
Han grinned. “Just like old times, eh ?”
Chewie growled a question.
“Yeah, good point,” added Han. “Where do we go afterwards ?”
Leia smiled cryptically.
“I’ve got that covered...”
The doors to P3 slid open once more, and the hidden observers watched as stormtroopers escorted out a line of white-jacketed scientists. It was notable that there was an increase in the number of troopers, and sure enough, Floydwood was in their midst.
“I see him !” whispered Han.
“There are a lot more troopers now...” noted Leia with a hint of concern, but almost immediately she had made up her mind.
“Chewie,” she announced, pointing off to the right. “Head over there first, and then circle around. I’ll be in the center... and I’ll be riding shotgun with Han...”
Han turned to his wife with a quizzical look, but Leia shook her head.
“Don’t worry about it, sweetheart... besides, “ she added, nodding her chin towards the flurry of activity ahead, “We don’t have much time left.”
Chewie growled an affirmative, then leaned in on the steering handles and the accelerator. The bike erupted into noise, and shot away.
Leia nimbly leapt onto the back seat of Han’s bike, and grabbed the low hold-rail with her left hand. With her right hand she thumbed her blue lightsabre on with a snap-hiss, the blade directed down, just as Han fired up the activators, and the bike darted forward.
From the vantage point of the factory rooftop above, the snipers could see a white clad figure magically materialise in the centre of the yard, a blue bladed sword already ignited and raised in readiness. At the same time, they were aware of a roar of engines from across the way, and two Imperial-issue Z-75 speeder bikes flashed into view from the shadows of a neighbouring factory.
Stationed high up with the sniper squads, the oversight commander tapped his helmet and activated a widecast comms.
“One intruder now in the centre of the yard, we don’t know from where, and two intruders on bikes entering fast from the south-east corner. All units open fire. Tactical, bring in the AT-Recons and the AT-Scouts. Civ-Co-ord, get that shuttle-bus in now !”
Like a blooming red and green and blue flower, the factory plaza suddenly opened up into a colourful and noisy display of laserfire and explosions.
From the east and west, bipedal AT-ATs marched in, towering above the ranks of the stormtroopers arrayed around the yard. The smaller single-pliot Recons agilely stepped through the lines of soldiers, bearing down on the column of scientists and workers as, ducking and cowering, they tried to make their way to the designated rendezvous point. The taller and larger Scout Walkers began to fan out and circle around the perimeter, cannoned turrets swivelling around to point at the sword-wielding figure in the centre.
Like a magnet, red cannon fire spat out towards the blue blade, and each shot was deftly parried and angled away. To counter the heavier barrage, their opponent was side-stepping to allow her to meet the crimson blasts with sweeping momentum. Some laserfire was sent out towards the surrounding factories, while other streaks were directed into the crowds of stormtroopers mere paces away.
The two bikes ridden by Han and Chewie raced into the melee, the Wookiee leading his on a wide arc along the perimeter, whilst Han held a direct vector towards the scientists. Behind him, Leia – a clear copy of the figure parrying the heavy gunfire in the centre – was swinging her sword and deflecting smaller fire from her husband. The stormtroopers were valiantly trying to find their targets as the bikes raced past.
Chewie, his green bladed lightsabre flashing back and forth in his right paw, the bike handle gripped tightly in his left, wove left and right between stormtroopers as he traversed the wide circumference. Laserfire cut across his head from the soldiers either side of him as well as raining down from the snipers above. He growled and roared in defiance.
Suddenly there came a dull sonic boom, and the Millennium Falcon appeared overhead, the Imperial labour shuttle still held tight at the front by the magnetic forces emitted from the freighter’s two mandibles. The saucer-shaped ship began to rotate at speed as it descended.
From below, Han glanced up at his ship. He shouted back to his wife seated behind him.
“Leia ?! What are you doing to my ship ?!”
“Trust me, it’ll be okay !”
On his bike, Chewie greeted the Falcon’s sudden appearance with a hearty welcoming roar !
Inside the Falcon’s cockpit, Leia sat with creased eyes closed tight, her arms outstretched across the instrument panels, and obvious sweat beading her forehead, her hair loose and sticking to her cheeks.
Aboard the Imperial shuttle, Jayvis gave a cry of surprise and fear as, through the cockpit window, he recognised their new location, and saw below the scene of military might.
He was vaguely aware of the bulkhead door swishing open behind him, and a female voice, steady and direct and definitely in command, calling out, “I’m Amidala. This is not going to hurt, please don’t panic. The others are safe.”
Jayvis half-turned in the pilot seat and saw a slim middle aged lady in grey-green fatigues stepping towards him.
“What the--?”
Leia dropped her right hand on to his shoulder, and Jayvis immediately slumped forward unconscious.
Leia turned on her heel, and returned to the main cabin. She glanced at the similarly comatose passengers – two women and two children – and then disappeared.
Down on the plaza, Han had smashed his way through the troopers and now braked hard turning in to stop beside the scientists. He was aware that they were now at their most vulnerable. Leia leapt off the two-seater bike, spinning her blue lightsabre in a figure of eight, almost matching her counter-part in the centre of the yard like a mirror.
At the same time, a third Leia-figure materialised on the opposite side of the bike.
The column of scientists were crouched low cowering on the ground.
“Get on now !” roared Han at Professor Floydwood, jabbing down at the seat behind him, and at the same time ducking his head low to avoid the general laserfire criss-crossing around them.
Above and to a little to the side of Han’s position, the Falcon continued its rotating descent, the ventral cannon firing wildly at the massed troops below.
Leia boldly stepped forward between the Professor and Han, and began providing cover against the gunfire being sent from the nearest stormtroopers. On the opposite side of the bike, the third apparition continued her energy shield. No red laser bolt passed through either of her defences.
The Professor scrambled to his feet, stayed close to the ground, and loped past Leia to the waiting speeder bike.
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| Nathaniel Reed, 30th June 2026 |
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