[Galaxy Of Fear] - 06(29)

“Sounds like we’re in trouble,” Han said, still firing at the approaching creature. “We can’t hold him off forever!”

Although the Rebel weapons did not stop Eppon, the blaster shots came so fast and furiously that they prevented the creature from coming too close. Again, Eppon changed his tactics. His red eyes flashed, and one by one he gazed directly into the eyes of the Rebel fighters.

“I don’t want to fall, I don’t want to fall!” one commando pleaded, as though he were hanging from a steep cliff.

“I don’t understand,” Deevee said in confusion. “He seems to be afraid.”

“That’s it, Deevee,” Zak guessed. “Eppon has the same powers as the Nightmare Machine. He’s gotten inside their minds. He’s attacking them with their worst fears.”

Han, Leia, and the others were soon in the same state, cringing in fear and crying out at things no one else could see.

Luke Skywalker was on his hands and knees. He seemed to be fighting hard against something. He whispered over and over again: “Ben! Ben!”

Leia dropped her blaster. “No, the Rebellion can’t fail. It can’t!”

Han had fallen to his knees. “I’ll pay you back, Jabba,” he muttered to himself. “I’ll pay you back, I swear it!”

Beside him, Chewbacca was growling angrily, trying to fight off some Wookiee fear.

Even Hoole fell under its spell. He rocked back and forth, his arms clutched about his shoulders, whispering apologies for the destruction of Kiva.

Only Deevee, Zak, and Tash were unaffected.

Eppon stalked closer. He would be on them in a few minutes. Zak backed up until he was right next to his sister. “We can’t fight what we can’t even touch!”

Tash, too, backed away, and bumped into Luke Skywalker. Luke had managed to get to his feet. His eyes were squeezed shut as he tried to fight off the illusion. He muttered to himself, “The Force… got to stay… with the Force. “

“That’s it!” she realized. “I can use the Force!”

Zak understood. Through his experiments, Gog had managed to take control of the galaxy’s most powerful elements. He had learned to control life and death. But the one thing he had never been able to do was control the Force.

“I just hope you can use the Force as effectively as Vader did,” Deevee said frantically.

As soon as she heard those words, Tash knew that Deevee was wrong. She did not want to use the Force the way Vader had. That was the dark side.

She recalled Luke’s words: 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.

If the Force connected all living things, then maybe it connected her to Eppon, too. Maybe she could use it to reach him.

“Eppon,” she said softly. As she spoke, she reached out with her feelings, trying to imagine an energy field that flowed from her to the monster and back again. “Eppon, it’s me. Tash. The one who took you from that egg chamber. I carried you on my back. We laughed and played together.”

Eppon lunged forward to grab her. Tash didn’t move. She ignored her pounding heart. She focused on the Force.

“We don’t want to hurt you, Eppon. We’re your friends. Remember?”

Eppon’s clawed hand hung over Tash, but did not come down. He could have destroyed her in a moment, but instead he only growled at her, gnashing his teeth.

Using the Force, Tash connected herself to Eppon’s mind. She felt anger, even rage, but somehow she knew that those emotions didn’t belong to Eppon. They belonged to the evil scientist who had created him.

She said softly, “What you’re doing is not your fault. You were created by evil. But there is good in you. I can feel it.”

Eppon lowered his clawed hand.

A few meters away, Gog howled in frustration. “No, no! Destroy her!”

Eppon responded to Gog’s command. His red eyes flashed, and Tash felt a wave of cold fear wash over her. Her concentration started to break. She suddenly began to worry that the others would escape while she was fighting Eppon. They would abandon her, leaving her to die while they escaped to safety. They would betray her.

She started to lose her connection to the Force.

Eppon growled, and raised his claws again to strike her down.

You’re not alone, Tash. Tash didn’t hear the voice with her ears. She heard it inside her head. You’re never alone.

The sound of the voice made her feel stronger. She concentrated again, and felt the Force flow through her once more.

There was something more. She felt someone else using the Force, too. Someone had added their strength to hers.