“Where did they go?” Tash asked.
“Some of my people fled. The strangers chase them. Hunt them.” Maga’s brow wrinkled. “You ask like you do not know. You were here.”
“I wasn’t here,” she insisted. “You have to believe me, Maga,” she pleaded. “You told Zak there was something dangerous about the Jedi ruins. What do you know?”
Maga’s eyes narrowed in suspicion. “I know many things. Wisdom passed down from garoo to garoo. This keeps my people safe.”
“Please tell me,” she said again. “What do your garoo ancestors tell you about those ruins?”
Maga stared at her as though his dark eyes could see right into her mind. For the second time, Tash saw past the anger that had built up between them. This time she saw why he had been chosen as garoo. She could see his mind at work, judging her words, judging her expression, reaching an intelligent decision. He wasn’t using the Force or any other power, but he was probing her just the same, using only his wits. She realized that she had to stop thinking of him as less intelligent just because his people wore skins and hunted with primitive weapons.
“Garoo learn to see,” Maga said. “Learn to judge truth by looking at eyes, hearing words. I think you are telling the truth.”
He paused a moment to gather himself.
“Long ago,” he began, “in the time of the garoo four before me, offworlders came here in flying machines.”
“Was that when the Rebels built their base?” she asked.
“No, before. Many seasons before that. Then there was only place of fallen rocks. These offworlders flew there. They had great power. Like you, only greater. They searched. They went away. After that, strange things happen.”
“What things?” she asked.
Maga shook his head. “The garoo stories are not clear. Sometimes Dantari vanish in the place of fallen rocks. Sometimes one Dantari enters, but two leave.”
Tash’s eyes widened. So the ruins did have something to do with her evil twin!
Maga continued. “After several seasons, these strange things do not happen. But the garoo forbid Dantari to enter the fallen rocks again. Our tribe camped away from fallen rocks. Then no bad things happen. Even when other offworlders came to build their stone camp, the place of fallen rocks was silent. But then, last season, when the Dantari camped here, it happened again.” He pointed to the sky. “Ships came down. They landed at the place of fallen rocks: And after that, all was different.”
“How?” Tash asked.
“No Dantari go to rocks anymore, so nothing like before,” Maga answered. “But soon, offworlders appear in old stone camp.”
“You mean at the Rebel base? People flew there?” Maga shook his head. “No. No ships come. But offworlders appeared. Where from? Even the garoo does not know. The man with no face came first. He tried to trap the Dantari, but Dantari escape into fields where he cannot find us. Then other strangers appear.”
Tash took a moment to sort things out. The Jedi ruins were thousands of years old. But some time in the more recent past, people with “great power”- Tash knew they must have been Jedi-carne to the ruins for a while, then left. After that, the Rebels came and went. And then, less than a year ago, more offworlders had come. Soon after that, Rebels started filling the old base again.
Obviously, activity near the ruins triggered something-Tash didn’t know if it was the Force or some hidden technology-that was causing these weird happenings. But what? And why?
“I need Uncle Hoole,” she said. “Maga, will you come with me to the Rebel base? My uncle is there.”
Maga took a step back. “No. My people do not cross the river. And I must search for any that escaped.”
“But-“
“Do not question the garoo,” Maga said proudly. “I must take care of my people.” With that, he turned and trotted off. She watched him for a moment, amazed at how quickly and quietly he moved his large body through the tall grasses.
Tash turned toward the river. Crossing the river meant crossing the bridge. And that meant she might run into her dark-side self again. But she had to risk it.
Tash approached the bridge cautiously. The ruins were to her right, and they seemed deserted. But on the far side of the bridge, a crowd had gathered. There were quite a few Rebels standing on the open ground between the bridge and their base, crowding around Uncle Hoole.
Tash made her way through the crowd toward her uncle. One of the people she bumped into was Eyal.
“What’s going on?” she said.
“Your uncle says that your ship is making its approach,” Eyal replied. “It should be here in a moment.