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Army of Terror

Page 4

by John Whitman


  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?"
<
br />   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.

  "Darth Vader!" Leia shouted. "Fire!" she ordered.

  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

 

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