this computer's files into his memory banks. If there ever were any files on
Project Starscream, they've been destroyed."
"I knew it," Hoole said. "Gog was too careful to leave records lying
about. Whatever he was planning, he has taken it to his grave."
"Well, let's make sure we don't take it to ours," Luke said. "I want to
get off planet before trouble finds us."
"Relax," Han said with a yawn. "What trouble would find us in this
deserted place?"
A few hours later, Zak and Tash were hiking through the rocks of Kiva
once more. They had warned the Rebels about the strange shadow creatures, so
the group kept a sharp lookout as they traveled. Behind the two Arrandas
marched the squad of ten Rebel soldiers. Luke Skywalker walked with Tash and
Zak, while Hoole strode in front, talking in low tones with Princess Leia and
Han Solo. Before them all stalked the mighty Chewbacca, his sharp Wookiee
senses scanning the landscape for trouble.
Zak, Tash, and Luke Skywalker took turns holding the baby. Eppon tugged
at their hair and ran his hands over their faces as he giggled and cooed.
"I do not know how we will care for this child," Hoole mused. "We have no
way to feed him, unless he can eat the supplies we brought from our ship."
"No need to worry about that right now," Luke responded. "All he's
starved for is attention. It's like no one has ever held him or hugged him
before."
"That's sad," Tash said. "Maybe he's an orphan."
"In that case, I know how he feels," Zak said.
"Me too," Luke Skywalker added quietly.
"Well, he's not an orphan anymore!" Tash perked up. "He's got us." She
held the baby up in the air. "Eppon, from now on Zak and I are your brother
and sister, and you are officially part of the Arranda family."
"Eppon!" the baby squealed happily.
Eppon squirmed so much that Tash almost dropped him. "Ugh, he's getting
heavy. Zak, ready for another turn?"
Zak wiggled his arms like they were wet noodles. "Not me. My arms are
about to fall off. Luke?"
The blond Rebel shrugged. "Sorry, kids. I've got to go up front with
Chewie. Maybe one of the commandos will take a turn. Hey, Rax!"
One of the Rebel commandos hustled forward. "Yes, sir?"
"You mind doing some baby-sitting duty?"
The commando sighed. They could tell he didn't like the idea, but Luke
was a hero of the Rebellion, so Rax slung his blaster rifle over his shoulder
and pulled little Eppon up into his arms. Eppon buried his head in the
soldier's neck. "Eppon!"
"He likes you!" Tash laughed.
"Hurray," the soldier groaned.
They marched on.
Soon they came to a field of rocks, standing like a small stone forest.
There were tall, thin rocks that rose higher than Hoole's head, and shorter,
thicker ones that only reached Tash's waist. Although stones like this covered
the planet, here they grew so thick that one person could barely slip between
them.
Han Solo called a halt. "We can't go through there and still watch each
other's backs," he explained. "We'll have to scatter and get through as best
we can."
"Maybe we should go around," Leia suggested.
"We'd lose a lot of time," Han replied. "Besides, I doubt there's
anything to worry about."
"I shall make certain," Hoole said.
He closed his eyes. At first, he seemed to shiver as if he were cold.
Then the skin crawled across his bones, and in the blink of an eye, he had
changed shape... into a long, thin serpent. The serpent was nearly
transparent, and difficult to see in Kiva's gray light.
Artoo bleeped.
"Quite right, Artoo," Threepio replied. "As a crystal snake, Master Hoole
will have no trouble scouting out those rocks." Threepio lowered his voice.
"I'm just glad he's going in that direction, and not toward me!"
The crystal snake slithered off through the stone field, slipping quickly
through the openings. A few moments later they caught a glint of light on the
far side. There was a blur of motion, and the snake changed back into Hoole.
The tall Shi'ido waved his arms. The path was safe.
Leia waved back. "Okay, everyone, break formation. Let's hurry through."
The Rebel commandos broke ranks, and they all started to pick their way
through the rocky forest. Since they were the smallest, Zak and Tash slipped
easily through the maze of rocks, and quickly made it to the other side where
Hoole waited. They watched as, one by one, the Rebels reached their side of
the field. In a few moments they had all arrived, except...
"Where's Rax?" Han asked.
"Where's Eppon'?" Tash asked.
"He was right behind me," one of the commandos said. "I thought he'd be-"
The Rebel didn't finish his sentence. A terrible scream ripped through
the quiet air.
Everyone plunged back into the rock forest, running toward the direction
of the scream. Zak and Tash were the first to arrive, followed closely by
Hoole, Han Solo, and Luke Skywalker. What they found made them all gasp.
Lying on the ground was Eppon, curled up in a ball, sobbing. He looked
like he had been dropped. Beside him lay Rax's blaster rifle, his clothes, his
pack, and even his boots.
But the commando had vanished.
CHAPTER 7
Everyone burst into action at the same time. The Rebel commandos drew
their weapons and immediately began searching the area. Zak and Tash ran to
pick up Eppon, while Hoole and the Rebel leaders gathered around the remains
of their companion.
"Poor baby," Tash said. "He's got a bruise on his arm."
"He's tough, though," Zak said. "He's already stopped crying."
Beside them, Leia touched the commando's crumpled clothes. They were
completely empty. Leia scratched her head. "What do you think happened here?"
"I don't know," Han answered, "but Rax was a well-armed and well-trained
commando. He wouldn't have gone down without a fight."
"It looks like Rax was pulled right out of his uniform.
Hoole, could it have been one of those shadow creatures you mentioned?"
Leia asked.
The Shi'ido shrugged. "I don't know. But they gave no indication that
they had any such power."
Luke Skywalker frowned. "I've got a bad feeling about this place."
Chewie gave out a low, confused snarl, which Han translated. "Chewie says
he doesn't smell anything. And there are no tracks. Whoever did this must be a
ghost."
Tash glanced at Hoole, and saw a look of sorrow cross his face.
Before she could comment, Han said gruffly, "Rax was a good man. Come on,
let's get going. I want to make sure we don't lose anyone else on this little
hike."
The Rebels kept their weapons drawn as the group continued its march. But
they heard and saw nothing.
"It's quiet," Tash whispered.
"As the grave," Zak agreed.
"Be silent," Hoole cautioned irritably.
Tash carried Eppon for a while; then, when they had marched about three
kilometers from Gog's laboratory, she suddenly handed the baby boy over to
Zak. "Will you hold him for a while?"
Zak pulled Eppon into his arms. "Sure... ugh! Is it me, or has he gotten
heavier?"
"It's you, laser brain," his sister said. "You're just getting tired."
"I'm not that tired. He's putting on weight!"
"Without eating anything?" Tash shook her head. "Do you think you can
manage anyway? I want to go talk to Luke."
"We'll be all right, won't we, little guy?"
"Eppon!" the little boy chirped.
Tash hurried past Uncle Hoole, Han, and Leia, to where Luke Skywalker
walked with Chewbacca at the front of the group. They were walking a dozen
meters in front of the others, making sure there was nothing unpleasant
awaiting the Rebel band. Tash caught up to them just as they were about to
enter a narrow passage between two high rock walls.
"Luke, could I ask you a question?"
Luke turned back from studying the path between the two stone cliffs.
"What is it, Tash?"
She hesitated. There were so many questions she wanted to ask, so much
she wanted to know about the Jedi Knights and the Force. She had reason to
believe that she could use the Force. But she didn't know how. And ever since
her first meeting with Luke, she had guessed that he was a Jedi, or at least
knew a lot about them. It wasn't just because he carried a lightsaber-she
could feel it, like an energy field that surrounded him.
"How much-How much do you know about the Force?" she finally asked.
"Not much," Luke confessed. "Just what an old friend told me. The Force
is what gives a Jedi his power. It's a kind of energy field that binds the
galaxy together. It connects all things."
"Is it-Is it like a weapon?" she continued.
Luke shook his head. "I don't think so. That's not the way to use the
Force. Jedi Knights used it in battle, but the Force isn't a weapon like a
blaster or a lightsaber. It's more like a power that helps you focus yourself
and understand everything around you."
Tash asked, "Can you use the Force?"
Luke shrugged modestly. "A little, I think. That's why I'm up here with
Chewie. I don't have his sense of smell, but I sometimes get feelings. Kind of
like an inner alarm."
"Yeah!" Tash said excitedly.
Luke raised an eyebrow. "Do you get that feeling?"
Now it was Tash's turn to shrug. "Well, I guess-"
Before she could answer, Chewie let out an ear-shattering roar. At the
same time, Luke's eyes went wide with alarm, and he yelled, "Get down!" He
dropped to the rocks, pulling Tash down with him just as a blaster bolt
screamed through the air overhead.
Chewbacca roared another warning, and Tash didn't need Han Solo to tell
her what he was saying.
"Ambush!" she repeated, as blaster bolts fell like an energy storm around
them.
The Rebel company dove for cover among the rocks. One commando was too
slow, and a blaster bolt struck his chest, spinning him around.
"Return fire!" Leia ordered. The air quickly grew hot from crisscrossing
energy bolts.
"Who would be on a lifeless rock like this?" Han asked. "Pirates?
Smugglers?"
"Worse," Leia said. "Look!"
On the path ahead of them, they could see figures slowly advancing. The
figures were dressed in white armor, and white helmets masked their faces.
Stormtroopers.
"What's the Empire doing here?" Han complained.
"I don't know," Leia said. "But at least that answers our questions about
Rax. The Imperials must have got him somehow."
"Why would they have left his clothes and equipment?" Luke asked, then
ducked as a blaster bolt flashed overhead.
"Ask them!" Han shouted back. "All I want to know is how they found us."
"Maybe they tailed us," Luke called out from behind a rock.
"No way. No one followed me!" Han stated.
"I am afraid they may be after us," Hoole said. "We thought we had
escaped some Imperial pursuers before we came here. Perhaps I can help. I can
shape change into a creature that will-"
"I think that would be a very bad idea," Han said. "Look!"
They all looked up the path again. The stormtroopers scurried about,
trying to remain hidden from Rebel blasters while they advanced. But one
ominous figure stepped into the open and strode forward. His armor was as dark
as his heart, and his cape swirled around him like a shadow.
The Rebels opened fire, pouring energy beams on the Dark Lord of the
Sith. From his hiding place, Zak watched the blaster bolts streak toward Vader
and figured that the Dark Lord was doomed. But Vader simply waved one gloved
hand, and the blaster bolts changed course. They scattered like leaves blown
by the wind.
"What the-?" Zak cried. "That's impossible!"
"We've got to stop him," Han growled.
"I've got an idea," Leia said. She raised her blaster, not at Vader, but
at the rock wall above him, and fired. The blaster bolt struck the wall,
blowing out a chunk of rock. More rocks followed it, and in moments a small
avalanche of stones tumbled down onto the path right in front of Vader. When
the dust settled, they saw that the falling rocks had blocked the path.
"Nice shooting, Leia!" Tash cheered.
"Not bad, Your Royalness," Han Solo admitted.
"It won't hold Vader back for long," Leia said. "We've got to do
something."
"He must be after me," Luke said. "He's wanted revenge since we destroyed
the Death Star."
"If that's true, then we should send Hoole, Zak, and Tash away," Leia
said. "The ship should be repaired by now, and they'll be safer there. Vader
won't bother them if he's after us."
"We can't just leave you!" Tash argued.
"This is our fight, Tash," Luke said calmly. "Vader is more powerful than
you can imagine. You've got to get out of here. We'll hold the Imperials off
as long as we can."
Hoole shook his head. "We cannot allow you to risk your lives on our
account."
"Hey, risking my life for other people's problems has become a hobby,"
Han smirked.
Leia pointed to four of the Rebel commandos. "Sikes! Bergan! Tino! Meex!
Front and center!"
The four commandos hustled forward. "You guys have a new assignment. Get
these civilians safely back to the ships. If we haven't joined you in four
hours, blast off this planet and don't look back."
"Yes, Your Highness!" said the commandos.
"We're leaving," Hoole said. "Where's the child?"
"I hid him over here where it was safe from the blaster fire," Zak said.
"He's right behind this rock."
Zak stepped behind the rock, and gasped.
The baby was now a little boy.
CHAPTER 8
"I cannot claim to be an expert," said Deevee, "but I believe this rate
of growth is impossible for human children."
"A little while ago he was about a year old," Zak said. "Now he looks
like he could be three."
"Eppon!" the little boy squeaked.
"No time to worry about it," the commando named Meex said. "I'll carry
him." He scooped the boy up' easily and the small party started off.
In ord
er to put distance between them and the Imperials, they doubled
back until they reached the field of stones. There, they turned left, and
started to pick a new trail back over the tough, rocky terrain of Kiva. The
commandos thought they could still reach the ships in an hour or two.
Tash and Zak looked back a few times as they hurried away from the
battlefield. The Imperials must have broken through the avalanche, because
blaster fire had started up again.
"I hope they're all right," Tash whispered.
"I'm sure they will be," Hoole said. "As for us, we've done what we came
here to do. Gog's headquarters are abandoned. Now we must get off this planet
as soon as possible."
"You don't suppose we're in any more danger, do you, Master Hoole?"
Deevee worried. "After all, I assume it was the Imperials who were responsible