From Star Wars, Del Rey Novelization, unedited first draft

Chapter 8: Keep Firing

Crouching behind a T-16 Skyhopper in Docking Bay 43, Han Solo whispered softly to his Wookiee companion.

“OK Chewie, listen. In a minute, we’re going in there to take out these bad guys…or maybe they will try and hit us first. Either way, there will be a LOT of laser gun firing going on shortly. You should fire too – as much as possible. And look, if there are still guys coming at us, and especially if they are firing at us, then please, KEEP FIRING. Don’t stop for any reason.”

“If you DON’T keep firing, we could die like we almost did last time.”

“But, if suddenly I am in front of you, STOP firing. I may be trying to tell you something important. But that probably won’t happen. I will be too busy with my own firing to talk to you. Though, if I see you stop, I will be sure to shout out KEEP FIRING to jar your memory,” Han said.

“Again, if I tell you to stop, like if you are firing at me and filling me full of smoking holes, then STOP. But otherwise there really is no excuse to stop the firing. Remember that time you were at the cannon on the Falcon, and those TIE fighters were chasing us, and you just stopped firing? We almost got blown up. Just because YOU stop firing, doesn’t mean the other guys will stop firing, and if you wait too long to start firing again, it might be too late, because you see, they’ve been firing the whole time; they NEVER STOPPED firing. And that gives them a big advantage.”

“And I’ll throw one more thing at ya, big guy; if THEY stop firing, that doesn’t mean YOU should stop firing. Because they might just start firing again any second – and then look what happens. Just because they didn’t keep firing, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t keep firing. ‘Cause maybe someone on the other side will yell, KEEP FIRING, but it will be too late for them, because our firing will have been going on uninterrupted…”