by Jude Watson
Artoo examined the parachute while Forbee-X, Stuart, and Threepio checked the supplies.
Artoo gave an unhappy series of beeps.
“We can’t use it?” Threepio sighed. “We lost most of the supplies, too.”
“We’ve got to find a way out of here!” Stuart said anxiously. “Time is running out!”
“Well, it could be worse,” Forbee-X said.
“I can’t imagine how,” Threepio said. “Well, I suppose I can. But I certainly don’t want to.”
“At least we’re in no immediate danger;” Forbee-X pointed out. “Let’s put our heads together and try to figure out the next —”
Forbee-X stopped abruptly. Her auditory sensors rose and trembled as they took a reading. “Do you hear it?” she whispered.
Everyone listened carefully. Threepio heard it first — the caw caw that sent his circuits into a tizzy. “Not those birds!” he cried.
“Let’s not panic,” Forbee-X said. “We’re well concealed by the branches. And the lizard isn’t here to alert them to our presence.”
Just then, Threepio saw a green flash. The lizard flew down and landed on Stuart’s shoulder.
“Hey there!” Stuart greeted it happily.
The lizard opened its mouth and screeched. Stuart quickly clamped his hand around the lizard’s mouth. But another; louder screech followed the first one. “Stuart, keep it quiet!” Threepio warned.
“I’m trying!” Stuart protested.
Another screech rose in the forest. Then another and another. Threepio looked around wildly. Now he could see that lizards surrounded them, sitting on branches and blending in with the greenery. Their mouths were open as the screeching noises grew louder and louder.
As the birds came closer the screeching of the lizards intensified, causing Stuart to put his hands over his ears. Above them, the birds began to circle as their numbers grew. A bloodthirsty caw caw echoed through the forest.
“Go ahead and say it, Threepio,” Stuart whispered. “We’re doomed.”
Artoo beeped rapidly and flashed his lights.
“The gondola!” Threepio cried.
“We should flip it over —” Forbee-X started.
“— and use it for protection —” Threepio said.
“— with Stuart on the bottom again,” Forbee-X concluded.
With a mighty pull, Threepio loosened the gondola from the V of the trunk. With Stuart and Forbee-X’s help, he flipped it over. The lizard took off, and Stuart crawled underneath. The droids followed. Threepio peeked out from the small crack left at the bottom.
“More and more lizards are flying in to join the others,” he whispered. “It looks as though the whole forest is alive.”
“I can hear them,” Stuart said, wincing.
“The screeching is a distress call,” Forbee-X murmured. “When Stuart’s lizard made it during our first encounter, he was out of his habitat, so none of his fellow creatures could answer.”
The shadow of the birds’ giant wings fell over the forest. Their great caws filled the air. “They’re here,” Threepio whispered.
But this time, the bloodcurdling cries were answered by the screeching of the lizards.
“What’s happening?” Stuart asked.
“I think the birds are confused by the number of lizards,” Threepio said excitedly. “They’re just circling. Now the lizards are taking off! They’re attacking the birds!”
Threepio tilted the boat so that he could monitor the bloodthirsty battle. The lizards flew toward the circling birds in close formation. Then, at the last moment, two sections separated at both ends of the line and dove toward the birds.
“It’s a double flanking maneuver!” Threepio cried. “Oh, Master Luke would be so impressed!”
The great battle began. The birds were larger and stronger, but the lizards were more numerous, and had better tactics. They encircled the birds in a pincer movement and attacked them ferociously. Sunlight flashed on iridescent skin as their claws and teeth ripped into the cawing birds.
With flapping winds and angry cries, each bird tried vainly to peck at their smaller attackers. But the lizards hung on, shredding flesh with their sharp teeth and digging their claws into the wings of the frantic birds.
With dying cries, one bird fell to the forest floor. Then another. Their comrades tried to wheel and launch an attack on the lizards, but they were outmaneuvered once more. Again and again the lizards dove relentlessly at the bloodied birds, tearing into their flesh and then flying off, only to return and assault them again.
With a huge, angry cry, one bird took off, calling for the others to follow. With shredded flesh and tattered feathers, the flock made a disorderly retreat.
“The birds are leaving!” Threepio cried. “We’re saved!”
Threepio pushed the gondola over. They climbed out just in time to see the last ragged birds flying away as fast as they could. The lizards slowly dropped back to the shelter of the trees. One of the lizards separated from the pack and flew to Stuart. It perched on his shoulder.
“Thank you, fella,” Stuart told it. “That was a hypergalactic save!”
Threepio climbed back into the right-side-up gondola. He sighed. “Now what?”
Artoo trundled over to sit next to him. Forbee-X followed, and then Stuart, still petting the lizard.
Artoo whistled and chirped.
“Artoo thinks we should abandon the gondola and hike out,” Threepio translated. “We can forage for food for Stuart on the way.”
“That could be an unacceptable risk,” Forbee-X said, her screen dimming. “Perhaps we should try to fix the parachute first.”
“Oh, dear.” Threepio sighed. “I don’t know what the right thing to do is.”
The lizard croaked in Stuart’s ear.
“He’s trying to tell us something,” Stuart said excitedly as the croaking grew louder.
“Sorry,” Threepio said. “I speak six million languages, but Flying Lizard isn’t one of them.”
Suddenly, the lizards in the surrounding trees took to the air. In a mass, they flew toward the group. “They’re attacking!” Threepio cried.
But the lizards didn’t touch Stuart or the droids. With their powerful jaws, they grabbed hold of the ropes that had once fastened the parachute to the gondola. They flapped their wings, and the gondola slowly rose in the air.
“They’re helping us!” Stuart cried. “He’s thanking us for bringing him home, I bet.”
“It’s a good assumption, Stuart,” Forbee-X agreed as the gondola moved smoothly into the air. Soon, they were gliding above the trees.
“We’re moving north,” Forbee-X noted. “They must know where we were headed. These lizards must have a superior form of intelligence, even if they can’t communicate. They must have figured we want to go back to our own kind.”
“I knew it,” Stuart said.
They soared just above the treetops. The only sound was the soft whisper of the lizards’ wings. The sound lulled the passengers, and Stuart grew drowsy. Soon, the forest was left behind and they skimmed above a flat, arid plain.
“I see it!” Threepio suddenly called. “I see the city!”
Stuart woke. He craned his neck. “I see it, too!” he cried excitedly. “It has some sort of dome over it.”
“An enclosed city,” Forbee-X said, nodding. “That makes sense, considering the climate extremes.”
“What’s the time check, Forbee?” Stuart asked anxiously.
“We have a little over two hours to reach the city and locate the Rebel faction,” Forbee-X said. “Not much time.”
“It will have to be enough,” Stuart said grimly.
The lizards’ wings beat slowly, as if drawing the gondola was becoming more of an effort. Stuart felt the skin of his little friend.
“He’s getting cold, Forbee,” he said worriedly.
“We’re too far north, out of their habitat,” Forbee-X said. “Since they’re cold-blooded, they’re slowing
down. They have to return.”
“Did you hear that, fella?” Stuart told the lizard. “You’ve done all you can.”
The lizard gave a soft croak. The lizards carrying the gondola stopped struggling. They glided softly down to the planet’s surface.
“Thank you,” Stuart told the lizard. Artoo flashed his lights. Forbee-X’s screen glowed her prettiest rainbow. Threepio bowed.
“We wish you a safe journey home,” he said.
The lizard rubbed its head against Stuart’s shoulder. Then, with a final soft cry, the small creature flapped its wings and rose. Together with the rest of the flock, it flew southward. Stuart waved until the last lizard was out of sight.
The sun was now low in the sky. Clouds rolled in from the west. The sky was an odd greenish color. Forbee-X eyed it uneasily. Data flowed across her screen.
“We’d better start walking,” Stuart said. “How long do you think it will take to reach the city, Forbee?”
“I’m not sure,” Forbee-X replied. “I just hope the weather holds.”
Just then, they heard a rumble of thunder.
“So we get a little wet,” Stuart said with a shrug. “We’ve been through worse.”
Forbee-X eyed the clouds anxiously. She pointed to a funnel-shaped cloud in the distance. “Welcome to worse,” she said.
“What is it, Forbee?” Threepio asked over Artoo’s inquisitive beep. He eyed the cloud nervously.
“That funnel-shaped cloud is produced by a tube of whirling wind called a tornado,” Forbee-X said. Her screen flashed rapidly.
“If a tornado can carry a gondola,” Threepio said hesitantly, “does that mean it could carry us?”
“I’m afraid so,” Forbee-X said. “We must find shelter!”
Artoo rotated his domed head. Forbee-X’s head spun around. Threepio and Stuart craned their necks. All they saw was flat, empty plain.
“The safest place is underground,” Forbee-X explained. “Even a deep ditch would help.”
“Maybe we can dig one with the gondola,” Threepio suggested.
“No time,” Forbee-X’s voice rose over the sound of the rising wind.
“Let’s strap ourselves in the gondola,” Stuart suggested.
“I’m afraid that won’t do much good,” Forbee-X said reluctantly.
“At least we’ll be together,” Stuart said. The wind tore at his clothing, and he had to yell to be heard.
Forbee-X nodded slowly. “All right,” she shouted over the rising wind. “My outer shell is made of shock-absorbing material. Keep your arms around me, Stuart. I’ll try to protect you.”
They climbed into the gondola and wound the spun carbon rope around themselves. Forbee-X wound her legs and arms around Stuart and locked her fingers and toes.
The sound of the wind was terrifying. A gust snatched the remaining supplies out from the bottom, and they were carried away. There was no time to worry about them. The wind was a screaming force now, blowing the gondola horizontally straight toward the funnel cloud. A whirling column of sand — the tornado! — rose before them.
“Hold on!” Forbee-X yelled over the screaming wind. “We’re being sucked in!”
It was a sound louder than anything Threepio had ever heard. Louder than the sound of a fleet of X-wings taking off. Louder than a Star Destroyer firing all of its laser cannons at once.
The wind tore at the gondola, driving it upward into the tornado. The gondola spun slowly at first, then picked up speed as it rose. The world became a blur of flying dust and roaring wind. Threepio could only lock his fingers around the gondola and hang on, his visual sensors closed tight.
It seemed to last forever but it was probably no more than seconds before they spun out of the funnel. They flew through the air and landed with a crash.
“Stuart? Master Stuart!” Threepio cried. Stuart’s head was still pillowed against Forbee-X.
“Stuart!” Forbee-X called frantically. “Are you all right?”
Slowly, Stuart raised his head. He blinked his green eyes. “Hypergalactic,” he said shakily.
“Oh, dear. You gave me such a fright,” Threepio scolded. “I’m glad to see you’re all right. As for me, a few more dents don’t matter I suppose.”
“That landing was softer than I expected,” Forbee-X said. “What exactly did we land on?”
They peered over the gondola’s edge.
“It looks like some sort of dried grass,” Threepio observed.
Artoo chirped and whirred.
Threepio surveyed their immediate surroundings. “Yes, Artoo. I see those heaps of grass over there. Each one seems to have a conical shape. Almost like a —”
“Roof,” Stuart supplied. “But it’s not attached to a house.”
“In tornado country, people often build shelters underground,” Forbee-X observed. “If this area is populated, those could be shelters. Which is good for us, since conditions are still ripe for another twister. I suggest that we locate the openings to the shelters. Maybe we can find people to convey us to the city.”
“Oh, dear. I think they found us,” Threepio said.
Around them, openings in the grassy mounds began to appear. Doors in the mounds lifted, and people began to climb out. They carried sharp pronged blades on top of slender sticks, and wore several weapon-filled belts around their tunics.
The settlers circled the droids and Stuart. Someone pointed to the damage to the grassy mound where the gondola had landed. The settlers began complaining in a strange, harsh language.
“They don’t look too happy,” Stuart muttered.
“Yes,” Forbee-X remarked. “It appears we are in a tight spot.”
“No kidding,” Stuart said, eyeing the fierce-looking group. “I say we take them. If we don’t get out of here now, we’ll never be rescued.”
“I suggest—” Threepio began, but was interrupted by Artoo’s beeps.
“Artoo says we have the element of surprise,” Forbee-X translated. “That’s true.”
Frustration washed over Threepio. As usual, no one was asking his opinion! “What I think —”
“On the count of three,” Stuart said out of the corner of his mouth. “One, two —”
“Hang on, Stuart,” Forbee-X whispered. “We haven’t heard from Threepio.”
Gratified, Threepio spoke in a low tone. “I suggest we apologize. After all, we did wreck their dwelling. And may I point out that I’m programmed for diplomacy in six million lang —”
Suddenly, a bearded cave dweller jumped forward. He shook his pronged spear angrily and let loose a flood of language. Threepio’s circuits clicked as his memory banks attempted to identify the language. He located words and phrases, then recognized the language as N’or. This meant he was able to translate what the stranger was saying.
“Oh, dear,” Threepio whispered to his friends. “I’m afraid they’re very, very angry.”
“So let’s charge!” Stuart suggested.
“Let me try diplomacy first,” Threepio suggested. He knew from the N’or vocabulary that the population was inclined to use flowery phrases for apology and flattery.
Threepio stood. He held out his arms, palms out. “Strangers and friends, we apologize with all our hearts for landing on your dwelling. The tornado picked us up and dropped us here. Not for twelve thousand moons will I ever allow myself to forgive this terrible event.” Then he bowed his head.
There was a murmur from the group. Threepio heard a woman say “appropriate sentiment.” Perhaps he had saved them from punishment!
“We should forgive them, perhaps,” a man muttered. “The whirlwind has done similar damage. No one can predict how it will move.”
Just as Threepio began to relax, the man with the glistening black beard stepped forward. Threepio noted anxiously that he was tall and muscular. He looked like a leader.
“I do not trust these strangers who dropped from the sky,” the settler said in a deep voice. “I think the golden being is lying!”
The cave dwellers looked at one another. “Granit is usually correct,” someone murmured.
“Our apologies are weak compared to the damage,” Threepio said quickly. “But we would commit ourselves to repairing the dwelling.”
“Easy for him to say,” Granit snorted. “They do not look as though they could fix a child’s toy.”
The cave dwellers moved forward. Threepio noted nervously that their hands went to their belts, casually moving for their weapons.
“Threepio?” Stuart asked nervously.
“Give me that azurite you stole on Yavin 4,” Threepio said urgently.
“But I gave it back,” Stuart protested.
“Give it to me, Master Stuart,” Threepio ordered. “I know you saved a piece and it’s in your pocket. It’s our last hope.”
Artoo beeped, and Forbee-X’s screen flashed. “Do it, Stuart,” she ordered crisply.
Stuart dug into his pocket and handed Threepio the azurite.
“We suggest a game of chance of your choosing,” Threepio said. “If we win, you will help us reach the domed city. If we lose, we will give you our most valuable possession.”
Threepio held the chunk of azurite aloft. The setting sun hit the mineral, causing it to flash with a clear blue light. Azurite was renowned as one of the most beautiful minerals in any system.
“We accept your offer and suggest space poker,” Granit said.
“Agreed,” Threepio said.
“The azurite is not enough, however,” Granit said. “It is hardly worth the destruction of our meeting house. It took us months to build it.”
“That is true,” someone said. “But what else should we ask for?”
“I say after we win, we dismantle the droids and sell them for scrap,” a woman suggested.
“Oh, dear,” Threepio murmured.
“And kill the boy,” someone added. “Why should we feed him? There is little enough to go around.”
“That is foolish waste,” another woman said. “We should sell them all to the next slaver who comes around.”
Everyone nodded at this.
“What are they saying?” Stuart asked Threepio. Threepio instantly decided it was better not to tell the others the grisly fate that awaited them if they lost. After all, it was still possible they could win the game of chance.