High Heavens (Star Wars - Luke Skywalker)

VII - An Old Friend

The group fell into a tense silence as they climbed into Luke's speeder once again, this time heading for Anchorhead, wherever that was. However, only a few minute into the trip, Mara spotted something odd in the distance. She directed Luke to it, and soon, they were stopping in front of a large, idle sandcrawler. Nothing seemed wrong at first, but Mara couldn't shake the odd feeling she got about it. As they moved closer, she realized that the sandcrawler was surrounded by the bodies of dead Jawas.

"Sand people?" she wondered, the three of them jumping out of the speeder and walking closer to inspect the damage.

"It looks like sand people did this, alright," Luke agreed, kicking some rubble around with his shoe. "Look, there's gaffi sticks. Bantha tracks. It's just... I've never heard of them hitting anything this big before."

"They ambushed the both of us when we were alone," Mara said, remembering the pattern.

"The sand people didn't attack this..," Ben stated. "But we are meant to think they did." He waved to the ground, at the crisscrossing lines of footprints. "These tracks are side by side; sand people always ride single file, to hide their numbers."

"These are the same Jawas that sold us R2 and 3PO," Luke realized in surprise.

Mara looked at him in shock, before looking towards the sandcrawler again. "Look at those blast marks," she observed, nodding at the black scorches on the sides of the transport. "I don't remember those Raiders with any blasters."

"And far too accurate for sand people," Ben discerned. "Only Imperial stormtroopers are so precise."

"But why would Imperial stormtroopers want to slaughter Jawas?" Luke pondered aloud.

He wasn't answered immediately. Mara looked around, brow furrowed, before she spotted R2 and C3PO, who were conversing by the speeder. Her heart dropped considerably, as all the pieces came into place.

"They must know R2 and I have the information for the Rebellion," she breathed out. "The plans we stole. They're looking for us."

Luke stopped next to her. "If they traced the robots here, they may have learned who they sold them to, and that would lead them back...," His face fell in horror, eyes widening. "Home."

Without another word, he took off, running down the hill to his speeder at full speed. Mara, the initial shock and fear passing, sprinted after him, ignoring Ben's shouts ("Wait, Luke! Mara!") as she followed her friend.

She skidded to a stop next to Luke's red speeder.

Luke glanced at her briefly while hurriedly climbing into the land skimmer. "I have to go, Mara."

Mara simply jumped into the seat beside him, and met his eyes. "I know. And I'm coming with you."

Thankfully, Luke didn't try to argue with her. If anything, he actually seemed slightly relieved. The speeder zoomed forward at full speed, the scenery around them blurring into streaks of orange and red. Mara's chest tightened at the thought of Luke's family being hurt, and the fact that it might all be her fault made her stomach lurch. She could only pray that the stormtroopers hadn't gotten to Owen and Beru, yet. She knew what violent extremes the Empire would go to in order to get what they wanted.

When they finally slowed in front of Luke's home, Mara's eyes widened as she took in the pillars of dark smoke pouring from the homestead. The speeder stopped a few hundred yards or so from the wreckage, and she leapt out along with her companion, who started shouting,

"Uncle Owen! Aunt Beru!"

"Luke," Mara said quietly, her gaze stuck to the horrid sight in front of the house.