“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.”