May The Way Be With You

Krayt Dragon

Next day finds a handful of Tuskens, Cobb, me and Din on our own banthas. The baby is with Din, so I can see him from my seat. Cobb is behind me, and I just know he's looking at my ass. It takes a few hours, but we arrive at a cliff that overlooks the cave entrance.

"By the Maker, why do so many cave entrances look like booty holes!?" I exclaim, making Cobb and a few Tuskens laugh while Din facepalms his helmet. A Tusken walks the extra bantha we brought along to the cave entrance, and I have a bad feeling about it. Din tells us the cave is an abandoned sarlacc pit that the dragon sleeps in.

"I've lived on Tatooine my whole life. There's no such thing as an abandoned sarlacc pit." Cobb states.

"There is if you eat the sarlacc." Din counters. I've heard of sarlaccs, they are not small creatures.

"How big is a krayt dragon to eat a sarlacc!?" I ask. I don't get an answer, and Din explains the Tuskens sacrifice a bantha to make the dragon sleep longer, having studied its digestive timing over generations. The Tusken tether the bantha outside the cave, then calls out to the dragon.

It starts growling, and the Tusken starts booking it. The dragon comes out of the cave, and in a surprising twist, eats the Tusken instead of the bantha. The kid exclaims and drops down, hiding behind the ledge. I place my hand on the baby's back as the dragon goes back into the cave, leaving the bantha untouched. I blink at the turn of events as Din says some fresh ideas would help the Tuskens fight it.

We move away from the ledge and the Tuskens make a model to make an attack plan. Judging the size of the skeleton compared to the pieces representing us, this thing is huge. I pat my saber, wondering if it will be of help. I come back to the conversation to hear Din volunteered Cobb's village. Cobb does not look happy. We make it back to camp to hop on the bikes.

I sit with Cobb again as we race back to Mos Pelgo. Everyone is silent, and I can feel Cobb is worried about how the villagers will take to being volunteered. I remember using the Force on that girl on Canto Bight, as well as haggling better scrap prices. Could I use it on a mass scale to convince the residents?

The Force tells me that wouldn't be very wise, nor ethical. I would be taking away their free will. I sigh and hope the villagers will not put up too much of a fight. As we arrive in town, Cobb tells us the Tuskens attacked them almost a year ago, and he personally took out twice as many as they killed. Din tells Cobb the town respects him, and they'll listen to reason, but Cobb isn't sure.

He gathers everyone into the common house, most people sitting at tables with cups of spotchka. He starts telling them about the deal, and that the krayt dragon will grow tired of bantha at some point and come after the towns people or even the school. When Cob tells them it can't be done alone, and the Sand People are willing to help, the townsfolk get into an uproar.

Din tells them he's seen the size of the dragon, and it will swallow the town whole if it wants to. He agrees the Tuskens are brutal, but they had to be to survive for thousands of years in the Dune Sea. They know how to fight the beast, and promise that if the remains and icor of the beast is left to them, they will not raise a blaster against the town. Unless one of the townsfolk does so first.

"How can you be sure they'll keep their word? They're raiders!" A person in the back calls out.

"I felt their honesty. They truly mean what they promised." I tell them. A few of the villagers laugh as another calls out.

"What are you, a Jedi? How can you 'feel' honesty?" The person asks. If it's what will convince them, I'll pretend to be a Jedi. I remember the thug that got scared when he saw my saber, so I pull out my saber and ignite it, making the townsfolk gasp. Even Cobb is surprised.