Heir to the Empire

Luke notices Mara’s pursuit and tries to stay close to the trees as he familiarizes himself with the ship. Unfortunately, he gets too close and crashes, bringing Mara down with him due to her proximity.

Karrde and some of his crew greet Thrawn and his stormtroopers as they land on the planet. The Imperials notice Mara’s pursuit of Luke, and Thrawn asks for an explanation; Karrde says a disgruntled employee had stolen goods and run. When Karrde explains that he needs to send a rescue crew out, Thrawn steps in and sends his stormtroopers instead, instructing them to bring back whoever and whatever they find. Karrde hopes Mara has gotten a handle on the situation before the stormtroopers arrive.

Han and Lando observe the Imperial landing from the forest with one of Karrde’s men. They manage to get Karrde’s man to tell them that the blue-skinned Imperial is a Grand Admiral and that Karrde had been holding a hostage of some kind. The man urges them to get to the Millennium Falcon.

Luke is unharmed in the crash. He starts to escape, but his sense of responsibility kicks in and he goes to check that Mara is not hurt. Expecting this, Mara is waiting with a blaster pointed in Luke’s direction, allowing her to make him a prisoner again.