Rise of the Teenage Conquerors

Episode 1.26

Lucas narrowed his eyes as he and Chewbacca walked into the Cloud City junk room. He knew they would find C-3PO's remains here. At least, they would if everything had gone according to script.

Chewbacca barked at Lucas, making him laugh. "Yeah, couldn't agree more," he said, flicking his eyes over the multitude of scrap piles. "We better start looking, though."

Lucas moved forward, tilting his head as he listened for the sound of the furnace. That was where they would find C-3PO, and they had to make sure they found him before he was smelted. Chewbacca followed him, scanning the heaps of scrap parts.

I could build so many different things from these scraps. So many things.

Glancing around, Lucas sighted the conveyor belt. He stopped and gestured toward it, looking back at Chewbacca. "Listen to the furnace, Chewie. We better check over there."

The Wookiee barked in agreement, grunting out something else at the end.

"Yeah, I think the old droid will be pretty ticked, too, if we let him get melted down to slag," Lucas affirmed. "He'd tell us we should have made sure he was recycled. Come on!"

He and Chewbacca hurried around the scrap piles, jumping over pieces that cluttered the narrow walkways as they headed toward the furnace and the conveyor belt leading right into it. A cluster of Ugnaughts gathered around the belt, the small aliens rummaging through the metal scraps being carried toward the powerful fire. And, right where Lucas had expected them to be, were C-3PO's head, torso, and limbs.

"Chewie, look!" Lucas pointed. "We have to hurry!"

They both picked up speed, running toward the conveyor belt as fast as the surrounding scrap heaps would allow. Lucas reached the conveyor belt first and shoved through two of the Ugnaughts, snatching C-3PO's torso up off the belt. Chewbacca bounded up and swiped at the clump of scraps the limbs were in, sending them all crashing to the floor.

There was only one piece unaccounted for.

C-3PO's head.

Lucas and Chewbacca both turned to the Ugnaught who was holding the protocol droid's golden head. The Wookiee growled, and Lucas scowled at the alien. "Come on, hand it over."

The Ugnaught pulled the head closer to him and shook his head.

"Give it back," Lucas insisted, holding out his hand.

Instead of complying, the Ugnaught whipped the head toward one of its fellows. Before Lucas really knew what he was doing, he had hurled himself in between the two Ugnaughts, his eyes trained on the golden head as it flew through the air. He jumped, his head colliding with C-3PO's, and prevented it from ending up in the alien's hands. Chewbacca snatched it out of the air as Lucas landed, staggering as his vision blurred, his head spinning.

"Owwwwwww," Lucas moaned, stumbling to a halt as he gripped his head. It throbbed with pain. "Oh, that hurt. This is the reason I don't do headers in soccer."

Chewbacca barked at him, holding up the metal head as the Ugnaughts jabbered at them angrily in their language.

"You're right," Lucas agreed, closing his eyes against the rush of pain. "That was a good header."

****

Lumina stood as the door opened, admitting Lucas and Chewbacca into the apartment. The Wookiee carried a case full of C-3PO's parts.

"What happened?" Leia demanded, she and Lumina approaching the table as Chewbacca slung the case down onto it. Han rose from the couch, furrowing his brow.