MAIN FORWARD BAY - SERVICE PANEL.

THREEPIO: They aren't here! Something must have happened to them. See if they've been captured.

Little Artoo carefully plugs his claw arm into a new wall socket and a complex array of electronic sounds spew from the tiny robot.

THREEPIO: Hurry!

The walls are only feet apart. The princess is frightened.

HAN: One thing's for sure. We're all going to be a lot thinner!

Leia is terrified and suddenly groans as she feels the first crushing pressure against her body.

HAN: Get on top of it!

LEIA: I'm trying!

THREEPIO: Thank goodness, they haven't found them! Where could they be?

Artoo frantically beeps something to See-Threepio.

THREEPIO: Use the comlink? Oh, my! I forgot I turned it off!

Meanwhile, Luke is lying on his side, trying to keep his head above the rising ooze. Luke's comlink begins to buzz.

THREEPIO: Are you there, sir?

LUKE: Threepio!

THREEPIO: We've had some problems...

LUKE: (over comlink) Will you shut up and listen to me? Shut down all garbage mashers on the detention level, will you? Do you copy?

LUKE: Shut down all the garbage mashers on the detention level. (he repeats the order)

THREEPIO: (to Artoo) No. Shut them all down! Hurry!

Threepio is in agony as he hears the incredible screaming and hollering from Luke's comlink.

THREEPIO: Listen to them! They're dying, Artoo! Curse my metal body! I wasn't fast enough. It's all my fault! My poor master!

LUKE: (over comlink) Threepio, we're all right!

The screaming and hollering is the sound of joyous relief. The walls have stopped moving. Han, Chewie and Leia embrace in the background.

LUKE: We're all right. You did great.

Han moves to the pressure sensitive hatch, looking for a number.

LUKE: Hey...hey, open the pressure maintenance hatch on unit number... where are we?

HAN: (over comlink) Three-two-six-eight-two-seven.

TRACTOR BEAM - POWER GENERATOR TRENCH: Ben enters a humming service trench that powers the huge tractor beam. The trench seems to be a hundred miles deep. The clacking sound of huge switching devices can be heard.

The old Jedi edges his his way along a narrow ledge leading to a control panel that connects two large cables.

He carefully makes several adjustments in the computer terminal, and several lights on the board go from red to blue.

The group exits the garbage room into a dusty, unused hallway. Han and Luke remove the trooper suits and strap on the blaster belts.

HAN: If we can just avoid any more female advice, we ought to be able to get out of here.

Luke smiles and scratches his head as he takes a blaster from Solo.

LUKE: Well, let's get moving!

Chewie hears the dreaded noise from to the hatch to the garbage room, begins growling as he runs away.

HAN: (to Chewie) Where are you going?

The Dia Nogu howls in the garbage room. Han aims his pistol.

LEIA: No, wait. They'll hear!

Han fires into the garbage room. The noise of the blast echoes relentlessly throughout the empty passageway.

HAN: (to Chewie) Come here, you big coward!

Chewie shakes his head "no."

HAN: Chewie! Come here!

LEIA: Listen. I don't know who you are, or where you came from, but from now on, you do as I tell you. Okay?

Han is stunned at the command of the petite young girl.

HAN: Look, Your Worshipfulness, let's get one thing straight! I take orders from one person! Me!

LEIA: It's a wonder you're still alive. (looking at Chewie) Will somebody get this big walking carpet out of my way?

Han watches her start away. He looks at Luke.

HAN: No reward is worth this.

They follow her, moving swiftly down the deserted corridor.

POWER TRENCH: Suddenly a door behind Ben slides open and a detachment of stormtroopers marches to the power trench. Ben instantly slips into the shadows as an Officer moves to within a few feet of him.

OFFICER: Give me regular reports, please.

FIRST TROOPER: Right.

All but two of the stormtroopers leave.

FIRST TROOPER: Do you know what's going on?

SECOND TROOPER: Maybe it's another drill.

Ben moves around the tractor beam, watching the stormtroopers as they turn their backs to him.

FIRST TROOPER: Have you seen that new B-16?

SECOND TROOPER: Yea, some tech guys were telling me about it.

Ben gestures with his hand toward them, as the troops think they hear something in the other hallway. With the help of the Force.

SECOND TROOPER: What was that?

FIRST TROOPER: Oh, it's nothing. Exhaust gases, don't worry about it.

Ben deftly slips past the troopers and into the main hallway.