Tractor beam disables

Chewbacca did as instructed, but the Falcon began to shake violently and continued to travel after the TIE fighter and toward the object, which was now clearly visible as a space station.

“Chewie, lock in the auxiliary power,” Han repeated, shouting over the noise of the shaking ship.

Hanging on to his seat, Luke said, “Why are we still moving toward it?”

“We’re caught in a tractor beam!” Han explained. “It’s pulling us in.”

Tractor beams were modified force fields that immobilized objects and moved them within the range of the beam projector. Hangar bays and spaceports generally used tractor beams to help guide ships to safe landings, but the beams could also be used to capture enemy ships. And in this case, it seemed the Falcon was someone’s enemy.

The Falcon’s engines and deflector shields were ineffective for escape. By attempting to send the ship into full reverse, Han was only producing friction within the tractor beam, hence the shaking. The tractor beam also immobilized the Falcon’s weapons, rendering them useless; any attempt to fire at the space station would likely cause the weapons themselves to blow up.

***

Star Wars®: Episode IV: A New Hope™ Chapter 8