Missing and Presumed Dead

To Win a Daughter

Whatever was attacking, it was big enough to tilt the ship.

His heart beat erratically in his chest, in his ears, as he struggled to keep himself from tumbling onto his injuries. Instinctively, he breathed as quietly as he could, as though that would somehow make the creature go away. It was silly, since the thing was outside the hull, slamming against it, and Luke was safely inside, but he did it anyway.

After another crash, the thing roared again. It was like nothing he'd ever heard before. Then again, the galaxy was a big place, and he didn't know where he was. There was a good chance he was still in the Outer Rim, and there were plenty of unknowns as well. On a good day, something like this would be a significant problem.

But Luke Skywalker was not having a good day.

With a broken leg, something broken in his shoulder, a concussion, and no weapons, there was no way in hell that he was going to be able to fight or run from anything. Let alone something that big. All he could do was ride it out and hope it decided to move on.

And of course, hope that he didn't die in the process.

Just as suddenly as it came, though, the pushing and banging stopped. He could hear it snort and snarl. Heavy footsteps stalked around the severed half of the ship. It drew closer, as if looking for something.

He stayed absolutely still, until his already strained muscles screamed for relief. He didn't dare give in to the temptation to relax. Not when he didn't know what he was up against.

Was this creature mad that a broken ship had appeared in its territory? Did it think it was a threat? Or could it smell or sense Luke and wanted to eat him?

He closed his eyes, reaching out with the Force towards the animal. As he suspected, its presence in the Force was huge, almost as large as the ship itself. He couldn't get all of the details, but it was definitely predatory.

What was strange was how the presence felt. Most creatures he'd encountered felt light, innocent. Even the predators. They were, after all, just animals following their instincts.

But this...this felt dark.

Cold.

Colder even than Vader's presence. It was more like the same coldness he'd felt in the cave at Dagobah.

And it was clumsily searching, not with its physical senses...but with the Force.

Not long after Luke had begun probing it, he felt it latch onto him. He felt its rage--and it's hunger.

He rapidly withdrew, completely pushing his power deep within himself to keep from touching it as the thing screeched in fury, and the attack on the hull renewed...not quite above the storage room he was in, but close. Too close.

He didn't understand how, but this... thing could sense when he used his powers. He'd pulled back quick enough that maybe it didn't have a total lock on him, but if his theory was correct...

He was in deep trouble.

He hadn't stopped using the Force since he'd learned of its existence the day his aunt and uncle were murdered. Sure, it was still something he had to concentrate on to use effectively, but there were times, like in these weird Force dreams, that he didn't control it. The thing currently trying to tear into the hull with what sounded to be claws had probably sensed him using it while he'd been dreaming with his father.

It was an effort not to begin to panic, even as he listened to metal begin to give way to claw in--maybe the room next door? He wasn't sure. He didn't want to know. He closed his eyes tight, resisting the urge to seek comfort from the very thing he'd begun to rely on for years, and hoped that it would lose track of him and go away.