On Endor, AT-ST walkers continued to prowl the forest and fire at the scurrying Ewoks. As a walker moved past a tree-covered hillside, two Ewoks looked up at the tallest and furriest new member of their tribe: Chewbacca. The Wookiee reached for a long vine that dangled from the treetops, then barked to his short allies.

The two Ewoks threw their arms and legs around him and clung tight as he seized the vine. Chewbacca howled a battle cry as he leaped away from the hill, carrying the Ewoks with him. They swung over the forest floor and landed with a loud thud on top of the nearest Imperial walker.

Inside the walker’s cockpit, the pilot and gunner heard the noise above their helmeted heads. A moment later, the gunner sighted an upside-down Ewok hanging in front of the pilot’s viewport. The gunner pointed and said, “Look!”

The walker’s pilot looked to the viewport. The Ewok chuckled, then slid out of view. The pilot said to the gunner, “Get him off of there!”

The gunner stood and pushed up the roof-mounted entry hatch. When the hatch was fully opened, Chewbacca reached down and hauled the gunner straight out of the cockpit. The gunner screamed as he was hurled from the top of the vehicle.

Before the walker’s pilot realized what had happened, the two Ewoks leaped down into the cockpit and clubbed him. Shoving the pilot’s body into the cramped compartment behind the seats, the Ewoks reached for the steering controls.

Chewbacca was nearly thrown from the walker’s roof as the vehicle lurched forward, but he bent down and quickly eased himself through the hatch. The Ewoks made room for him as he settled into the pilot’s seat.

Through the viewports, Chewbacca saw another walker nearby; it was firing at a group of fleeing Ewoks. Chewbacca and his companions decided to put a stop to it.

The Wookiee guided his walker through the woods, then fired the blaster cannons at the other walker. The enemy walker’s command cabin exploded, spraying metal in all directions. When the Ewoks on the ground looked back at the vehicle, all that remained was its two legs and a shattered drive engine. The Ewoks cheered.

Without breaking his walker’s stride, Chewbacca aimed his cannons at the Imperial ground troops and fired. Laserbolts tore through the forest, and the stormtroopers ran to escape the barrage.

The explosions drew the attention of the remaining two scout troopers. As they flew in tandem formation past the trees on their speeder bikes, an Ewok tossed a looped vine into the path of the scout at the rear. The other end of the long, heavy vine had been anchored to the base of a tree; when the thrown loop lassoed the bike’s steering vanes, the snagged bike began whipping around the tree at high speed. The bike carried its rider on a rapid clockwise trip until the vine was completely wrapped around the tree’s trunk and the bike crashed and exploded.

The last scout trooper was also done in by a well-placed vine, which the Ewoks had stretched a short distance above the ground between two trees. Striking the vine, the scout was knocked from his saddle while his bike hurtled forward and collided with another tree.

The Ewoks continued to fight with cunning innovation, using the forest’s natural resources against the Imperial invaders. When they saw two Imperial walkers moving swiftly through the woods, they simultaneously released two vine-suspended logs from the treetops; the massive logs swung like twin hammers, smashing into both sides of the first walker’s command cabin. As the second walker moved past the bottom of a hill, Ewoks stationed at the top of the hill unleashed stacked timber; the walker was unable to maintain its balance against the avalanche of rolling logs. Both walkers exploded.

With most of their walkers destroyed, the Imperial ground troops were fast becoming overwhelmed by their adversaries. No matter where they ran, the Ewoks were waiting for them with stones and arrows.

Back at the bunker, R2-D2 was still out of commission and C-3PO cringed in the doorway. Leia continued to fire at stormtroopers, keeping them at bay while Han worked on hot-wiring the door.

Han said, “I think I got it. I got it!” The wires sparked and a connection was made, but instead of opening the access to the bunker, a second blast door slid into place in front of the first.

As Han frowned and turned back to the wires again, Leia exchanged shots with stormtroopers in the bushes. Suddenly, a laserbolt struck her left shoulder. Leia cried out in pain and fell against the doorway.

Han didn’t even try to find Leia’s shooter. Trying to protect her, he grabbed her and eased her down so she was sitting with her back against the base of the door’s control panel. C-3PO stepped near them and said, “Oh, Princess Leia, are you all right?”

Han crouched to face Leia and checked her wounded arm. He said, “Let’s see.”

“It’s not bad,” Leia said, slightly breathless.

“Freeze!” said one of two stormtroopers, who’d appeared suddenly behind Han. Both troopers had their blaster rifles aimed at Han’s back. Han didn’t move, and kept his eyes on Leia.

“Oh, dear,” C-3PO said.

“Don’t move!” commanded the stormtrooper.

Han didn’t budge. Leia shifted only slightly, just enough so Han could see that her right hand still grasped her blaster pistol. Han realized his own body blocked the stormtroopers’ view of Leia’s blaster. Then he returned his gaze to Leia. Speaking just loud enough so only she could hear, he said, “I love you.”

“I know,” she replied.

“Hands up!” said one of the stormtroopers. “Stand up!”

Han raised his hands and stood up slowly, then turned. Leia’s blaster spat twice, and each shot pierced the stormtroopers’ armor-plated chests. They collapsed beside the bunker.

As Han turned toward Leia, he saw an AT-ST walker approaching. The walker came to a stop with its cannons aimed at Han. Han raised his hands and said to Leia, “Stay back.”

Han bravely faced the walker, and was astonished when the hatch opened at the vehicle’s roof and Chewbacca stuck his head out. The Wookiee barked triumphantly to Han.

“Chewie!” Han said, lowering his hands and grinning from ear to ear. Then he gestured toward Leia and said, “Get down here! She’s wounded!” But before Chewbacca could move, Han said, “No, wait…” Then he turned to Leia and said, “I got an idea.”