Working as a sanitation worker on Cloud City was definitely not my dream job. But it was a job, even if it was droid-work. The only perk that job provided was that, since you are basically invisible to everyone because you are low in the hierarchy, you hear EVERYTHING. That was how I found out the Empire had landed and planned to take someone named Luke Skywalker captive. Here is what happened that day...

I shuddered when Darth Vader walked by me. I could feel the power that radiated from him. The only way to describe it would be as a cold power. Lando Calrissian met Darth Vader and his Storm Troopers in the hallway I was cleaning. I listened closely as I worked. Apparently Han Solo, the man who famously made the Kessel Run in twelve parsecs, was coming to Cloud City. He and anyone with him would be used as bait for someone named Luke Skywalker. Skywalker was the one Darth Vader was actually hunting.

My heart began to beat faster as I heard this, but I continued cleaning. I didn't want to do anything that would cause the cold power of Darth Vader to take notice of me. Finally, he left. Lando went with him, but I could see him fuming. Apparently Lando didn't like any of this one bit.

As soon as they were gone, I bolted. I didn't tell anyone what I had heard. Imperial Spies could be anywhere. Bad things happened to people who defied the Empire. I was afraid, but I wasn't going to let fear get in my way. I went into the control room, which was mostly automated, to send a message to the Millennium Falcon, if I could figure out how. I was pretty good with machines. Unfortunately, when I arrived, I saw on the monitor where the Falcon had already landed. I was too late! So I watched. A human man, a Wookie, a droid, and a human woman disembarked. The man had to be Han Solo. He had that scoundrel look.

I turned up the speakers as I saw Lando approach them. Through their conversation, I learned that the Wookie was named Chewie and the woman was Leia. I didn't care about the droid. Through careful watching and waiting, I found that they were taken to one of the receiving rooms, and that they were alone. Fighting my morbid imagination as to what the Empire would do to me if I were caught, I hurried to the receiving room, only to find Lando had gotten there first.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, clearly confused at seeing a sanitation worker.

"I am here to clean the room, sir," I said, trying to make my voice sound as calm as possible.

"Well, we were just leaving, so it's all yours," he replied.

I silently cursed myself at having been so slow. I didn't know what else to do. So I went back to the control room and waited. If the Empire was trying to lure Luke Skywalker, he would have to land on one of the landing pads. The control room had monitors for all of them. If I saw him come, I might could warn him.

When Luke Skywalker showed up, I ran out of the control room - and smack dab into a Stormtrooper.

"Hey! What are you doing here?" he exclaimed.

That was the second time that day I had been asked that question, and it was starting to annoy me. I did the only thing I could, and I cursed myself again because of it.

"Inform Lord Vader that Luke Skywalker has arrived."

The Stormtrooper hurried away to do so. Apparently I wasn't the only one afraid of Darth Vader.

I hurried, more carefully now, to the hallway that led to the landing pad. Finally, I saw Luke Skywalker. I didn't have time to think how to address him, so I blurted out, "Luke Skywalker!"

He whipped around, igniting his lightsaber as he turned. I took a step back, but continued talking, hoping Darth Vader wasn't just around the corner.

"It's a trap," I said quickly. "Darth Vader wants to capture you."

"Where are my friends?" he asked.

"I don't know, sir," I responded. "I just know that their capture was nothing but a ruse to get you here."

"How do you know all this," he asked suspiciously.

"I am a sanitation worker," I said. "No one pays me any mind. You wouldn't believe the things I hear."

"I have to try to save them," he said. He turned and continued down the corridor.

Having done what I could, I headed back to my quarters. I had not been caught by the Empire, but I knew I had been caught up in something much bigger than a simple capture. I had been swept up in a Rebellion.