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| Home Grown Special |
Home Grown Special
" Owen, I'm so glad you're back! Luke's missing. He hasn't come home."
Beru Lars' normally calm demeanor had totally disappeared. Owen had never seen
her so distraught; and all over that boy!
" Now, Beru,Luke's probably off with Biggs and the others and lost track of
time. He'll
show up." Owen tried to comfort her while inwardly fuming at the boy's lack of
consideration. On the other hand, he thought
his wife coddled Luke too much, worrying about him all the time. It wasn't like
in the beginning, when they never knew if Luke's
identity would be discovered. It'd been twelve years now; they ought to be safe.
" No, Owen. I called over to the Darklighter's Biggs is home. He and Luke
went into Anchorhead; but he said Luke was planning on coming right back here,
and that was hours ago." She
looked at her husband, tears in her eyes. " Owen, I'm frightened something has
happened to him."
" All right." Owen tried to comfort. " I'll take the other speeder and go
look for him;but if he's just goofing around he'll be grounded for a year!"
Grumbling, the farmer headed for the garage to get the family landspeeder. He
hadn't
thought it a good idea to allow a boy of twelve to have his own speeder. But
Luke had worked so hard fixing up
the old wreck and, up to now, he'd been very dependable. Plus, it was nice to
have someone else to run
errands to the power station and so on.
Owen sighed. He really hoped Luke hadn't run into trouble. The though of the boy
lying out in the desert, hurt and alone, bothered the farmer more than he would
admit.
Some time later, a grim Owen Lars returned to his farm alone. One
look at his scowling face told Beru the news wasn't good.
" I found his speeder all right, but there's no sign of Luke. Maybe we'd better
contact
the authorities; get a patrol sent out to look for him."
This showed how desperate he thought the situation was. They'd avoided the
authorities like they avoided the twin noontime suns, since Luke had come to
live with them.
" Owen, do you think we ought to let Ben know what's happened? Maybe he can
help?"
Beru proposed this hesitantly; knowing how her husband felt about the desert
hermit and former Jedi Knight.
Owen's first instinct was to reject this out of hand. Then he stopped and
thought.
Ben Kenobi knew the desert better than anyone else on Tatooine. If anyone could
find Luke, he could. Plus,he
had a major stake in the boy's continued safety and anonymity.
" All right. I'll go talk to him."
Relieved, Beru took a deep breath.
"I'd like to come, too."
Owen put his arm around her, comfortingly, as both of them headed for the
garage.
Neither wanted to voice the possibility that it might already be too late. The
desert killed quickly as often as not.
Kenobi straightened up from his examination of the vehicle.
" He was taken all right. Did you notice, Owen, that the engine had been
tampered
with?" The Jedi asked, glancing over his shoulder. " It was rigged to allow
Luke to get this far
from Anchorhead and no further."
" That doesn't sound like sandpeople." Owen responded,puzzled. " Do you think
someone finally discovered who he really is?" The farmer had, at last, put into
words the fear
haunting both he and his wife. Although they were only his Aunt and Uncle, the
Lars/ had come to
love Luke as if he were their own son.
" No," Kenobi shook his head. " If the Empire were behind this kidnapping, they
would
have been much more direct about it. I think Luke's captors hoped to keep this
a secret as long as they could. We
were supposed to think that the boy had engine trouble and got lost trying to
find his way home."
" Ben, who do you think is responsible?" Beru asked. " You must have some idea."
.Kenobi smiled gently at Beru. He wished he could comfort her; but if what
he suspected was true, they were in for some difficult times.
" I'm afraid he's been taken by slavers,Beru." The old man spoke gently. " I'd
heard there was a slave convoy being formed by Jabba the Hutt's syndicate, for
transport to the markets of Gezeer."
Beru's face turned pale under her tan. Owen quickly put his arm around her.
" But why would they take Luke? That doesn't sound right. They usually avoid
kidnapping
locals with families."
" I think they had a special order for a favorite client and were running out
of time.when they spotted Luke in Anchorhead." Kenobi stated. " This whole
operation has the air ofa spur of the moment thing."
" Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go get him back." Owen had already
turned toward the speeder
when Ben laid a restraining hand on his shoulder.
" Don't be hasty, my friend. If we confront them, they'll just deny it." He
looked grim. " And if we warn them that we know what happened, they'll either
hide him or kill him."
" Oh,no!" Beru gasped, her eyes filling with tears. " Ben, can't we do
something?"
" I think it would be best if you both went home." Kenobi suggested. " I know
this
is hard for you, Owen;but you must trust me. I'll get him back, I promise."
Luke woke up slowly. What was going on? He remembered the friendly stranger
who'd
stopped to help when his speeder quit on him. He must have done this.
Luke tried to sit up, wincing at the pain in his head.
" Hey look, he's awake." A voice called off to one side. Luke looked in that
direction and saw
a group of beings of many species playing some kind of game. A soft-faced
female, of a type unknown
to Luke, was the one who'd spoken. They must have sensed his confusion; because
a Denerian made a
sound that reminded Luke of a bantha caught in a foot-hobble.
" Don't know what's going on, do you, youngster?".
" No." Luke replied. " What is this place?"
" It's nowhere, young one.Simply nowhere. You're in a slave camp. I take it
you're a native of this blasted dirtball?"
The boy nodded, totally confused.
" I don't understand. Are you all slaves?"
" Yes." The Denerian said. " And now, so are you."
" But that's impossible." Luke got to his feet and stood, swaying. " I've got
to get back. Aunt Beru will be awfully worried."
" Huh, you don't look like much, do you? Wonder why they wanted you for a special? No accounting for taste, I guess."
" A special?" Luke was very confused, and very frightened.
" Yeah, some rich client must have put in a special order for a slave of your type. Otherwise, they don't usually bother grabbing locals." She paused. " My name's Leerza, by the way."
" I'm called Luke. Are you a special too?" He asked.
" Funny." She laughed. " No, I've been sold before. My last owner had to get rid of everything fast. Sort of an emergency, you might say."
" Are your parents here, too?"
" You really don't know anything, do you?" Leerza gave him a sour look." My parents are long gone. I've been a slave as long as I can remember." She frowned. " You said your aunt would miss you. Where are your parents?"
" They died right after I was born.I've lived with my aunt and uncle all my life..." Luke was interrupted by a loud clanging.
" That's feeding time." Leerza told him. " Come on, I'll show you how they do things. You look like you could do with some food. Kind of puny, aren't you?"Before Luke could come up with a suitable answer, she ran off, expecting him to follow. The boy decided he might as well stick with her. He'd need someone who knew their way around the camp, and Leerza seemed friendly. He guessed she was around his age. It was hard for him to imagine someone who'd only known slavery her whole life.
This made him think about his aunt and uncle, and his home. Blinking the tears from his eyes, Luke tried to keep up with Leerza as he wondered if he'd ever see the moisture farm again.
Later, they took their plates of food over to a quiet corner, and Leerza
explained life in the slave camp to Luke as they ate.
" It's not so bad right now. Watch out for Florssk, though." She warned. " He's
rough.
He doesn't like kids and would as soon kick you as look at you. I'm not even
sure your being a special
would mean anything to him."
" Is he one of the guards?" Luke asked, looking around.
" Nah, he's a slave like us." She answered. " But he's been in and out of the
guards and fighting stables all his life. He's just plain mean."
" All right, I'll be careful of him."
" They'll probably be shipping us in the next couple of days, which means
we'll get plenty to eat. They like to make sure we're in good shape for the
market."
" Where do they take us?" Luke asked anxiously. "What kind of market is it?"
" We're going to Gezeer. They have a huge sale of slaves, three times a year,
and
everyone comes to it. Since you're a special, you'll not be put in with the
rest of us. At least not if you're
what the client wants. If they decide you don't suit, then you'll go on the
general block for the highest bidder."
She looked over at Luke's plate. " You done? Good. Let me show you around."
Leerza took Luke over the whole camp. It was fairly large, there were thousands
of slaves there; but there wasn't much to see otherwise. During their tour,
Luke spotted a vehicle
carrying a repulsive looking creature.
" Who's that?" He asked, squinting for a better look.
" Boy, you don't know much, do you?" She asked. "And you live here? That's Jabba
the Hutt. He owns this whole mess, and a lot more besides. Haven't you ever
heard of him?"
" I've heard of him." Luke answered, still looking. " But I've never seen him.
He
doesn't have much to do with the farmers. How does he get all this past the
Imperials?"
" He's got the planetary governor in his pocket, is how." Leerza was openly
shocked
by Luke's question. " You don't suppose the governorship of this rock is such a
plum that the governor isn't
above lining his pockets any way he can?" She shook her head at his ignorance.
" I suppose the next thing
you want to know is if anyone ever escapes. Forget it. No one ever does."
She noticed Luke's glum expression.
" Cheer up. It's not so bad. If you get a good master, it can even be a pleasant
life." She put her hand on his arm." I'm old enough now, I'm hoping to find one
who'll take a liking to me.
If I keep them happy, I'll be set for a long time." She did a quick little
dance step. " I've got lots of
talents and I'm pretty. Don't you think I am?" She gazed at Luke intently.
He studied her carefully, since she seemed to want him to. Being an adolescent,
her head tentacles were just starting to develop.
" I think you're very pretty." He said shyly." But don't you ever wish for a
different
kind of life?"
Leerza looked around quickly.
" Don't tell anyone, but someday I'm going to tbe free and rich and go wherever
I want.
Have you ever heard of Ryloth? It's the most beautiful planet in the galaxy.
I'm going to get back there some day.
I know I will." She looked fiercely at Luke, as if challenging him to disagree."
" I'm sure you will." Luke answered her. " Maybe I could help you. If you
helped me
to get out, I'm sure my aunt and uncle would see that you got to Ryloth."
Leerza swung around and hit Luke hard. The blow, catching him off guard, knocked
him to the ground. He looked up at her, dazed and angry.
" Look," She told him." I like you. So I'm going to give you good advice.
Forget about
escaping from here. It won't work. You need to make the best of what you have."
She pulled him back to his feet.
" Let's go. I'll show you where I sleep. You can bunk in with me."
When they got to her spot, a tall, strongly built human was waiting.
" Hey, Leerza. You get a new pet or something?" He joked, jabbing a finger at
Luke.
" Who's the new kid?"
" This is Luke. He'a a local they brought in today to be a special. I've been
showing him around. Luke, this is Florssk.:
The man ignored Luke and addressed himself to Leerza.
" How about coming in with me?" He asked." You must be ready by now. I'll take
good care of you."
" I don't need anyone to take care of me." She answered hotly. " And I"m not
ready to
go with you yet. So leave me alone, right?"
To Luke's surprise. the big man nodded and began to walk away. As he passed
Luke, Florssk's leg suddenly lashed out, catching the youth in the stomach.
Luke doubled over and threw up everything
he had just eaten.
" What'd you do that for?" Leerza demanded. " I told you he's a special."
" I didn't mark him up at all. That's just a reminder I don't want you
practicing with anyone else. When you're ready, you're mine." He walked off,
laughing.
" Come on." Leerza got Luke up. " There's a cleansing unit over here. You
better get cleaned
up. I'm not letting you into my sleeping place until you smell better."
She didn't comment on what Florrsk had said or done. Luke was bewildered by the
casual
violence, and by Florssk's assumption that Leerza would do as he told her.
After he'd cleaned himself and his clothes, Leerza took Luke to her sleeping
place. She got
him a blanket and showed him how to make sure it wasn't stolen off his back
while he slept. Leerza said goonight,a
and was quickly asleep.
Luke lay awake considering everything that had happened to him.
Despite Leerza's warning, he was determined to get away. If what she told him
was
accurate, he didn't have much time before they'd all be shipped to Gezeer.
Tomorrow he'd have to see how the gates
were guarded. Unlike Leerza, he wasn't ready to resign himself to slavery ; no
matter how kind his master might be.
Ben Kenobi stopped just outside the slave camp, reaching out with the Force to
find Luke.
He'd been sensitized to the boy's presence when he'd brought Luke to the Lars'
farm as a baby. Now he used that
awarenss to find the youth among the thousands of beings in the camp. There! Yes! Ben thought
with satisfaction. He's there alright. He was picking up Luke's feelings now- fear and loneliness,
that was to be expected. And he'd been hurt, but not badly. Above all, Ben felt
the boy's determination to escape
and his unwillingness to accept his fate. Good boy. Ben approved. He's very strong. This
experience won't harm him, provided we can get him away.
The old Jedi Knight decided he could use Luke's own intelligence and strength
to help him escape. If that worked, Ben wouldn't have to make his presence know
to Luke; which would save
him having to answer awkward questions. First of all, he had to get into the
camp. Which shouldn't be
too difficult, he realized. The guards were looking for escaping slaves, not
new arrivals. When the
guards changed, just before First Dawn, would be a good time to slip in.
Early next morning, Luke was prodded awake by Leerza.
" Let's go." She urged him. " You gonna sleep all day?"
" Where are we going?" Luke wanted to know. He had to find time today to explore
the camp for an escape route.
" First, we're going to grab some breakfast. I know the cook, and he always
gives me
something before everyone else is fed. Then, we'll go spy on the training
sessions."
Guided by the girl, Luke got a whirlwind tour of training for specialized
slaves- dancing,
fighting, gymnastics and erotic techniques that made his cheeks flush and his
eyes bug out.
Wait till he got to tell Biggs about this! "
He must have made a noise, or something, because one of the instructors
suddenly headed toward their vantage point. Grabbing his hand, Leerza pulled
him away and, laughing,
they made their escape before the rotund teacher could even get close to them.
" That was fun!" Leerza declared. " It's awfully nice to have someone to do
these
things with. I'd been kinda lonesome since Teros left.
" Who's Teros?" Luke asked.
" Just a friend.You have to learn not to get too attached to anyone. Everyone
gets sold sooner or later."
Privately, Luke thought he would never get used to that; but he didn't want
to start an argument with Leerza. He needed her help.
" Tell me about Ryloth." He asked. " What will you do there?"
" What do you want to know for?" She asked suspiciously.
" Well, I like you. I just want to know more about ou." Luke knew she'd
disapprove
of his plans. She'd been so mad yesterday when he'd mentioned escaping.
Leerza wasn't fooled.
"You're still thinking about getting away, aren't you?" She accused. " Don't
you
understand, you're here for good?"
Now it was Luke's turn to be angry.
" Just because this is the only life you've ever known doesn't mean I have to
be satisfied with it! I miss my home and my family; and I know they're worried
about me." He stopped, looking
very sad." They probably think I'm dead by now. No one survives this long alone
in the desert."
" All right, all right, don't start to bawl." Leerza looked around. " I'll show
you where the entrances are, and where the guards are. Maybe that'll convince
you there's no hope."
As they moved away, neither of them noticed a large form standing in the shadows. Florssk had heard enough to convince thim that he'd earn a favor from the guards by reporting the new slave.
Ben had seen Florrsk, and had picked up on the man's ill-feeling toward Luke.
He decided to keep an eye out for him as he followed Luke and Leerza. So far,
Kenobi hadn't had any difficulty. He'd
slipped into the camp as he'd planned , and found the boy right away. He knew
from their discussion that the two
children were going to scout for Luke's escape route. This fit in well with his
plans. He could influence Luke's route
and keep the guards from noticing the boy.
Suddenly, there was a flurry of movement to his right, and a guard detail
closed in on the children.
A squad of huge, ugly Gamorrean guards marched up to Luke and Leerza. As they grabbed the boy, Leerza ducked into the crowd and disappeared. No one paid any attention as they dragged the struggling youth to where an overseer stood. He looked the boy over carefully.
" I thought you'd be the one." He said disgustedly. " I never like taking local.
They tend to cause a fuss every time." He motioned for his assistant to bring
something over.
" This will put an end to your foolish idea of escape." He told Luke. " I can't
afford to have you hurt, our client is too important; but you;kk want to stay
right here with this on you." With
that, he slipped a collar around Luke's neck and activated the electronic lock.
" All the perimeter walls
have devices sensitive to this frequency. If you pass one, this happens." He
touched something on a device in his hand.
An overwhelming shock slammed into Luke. He fell to the ground, unable to move.
When
the overseer touched another switch, the pain stopped.
" You see, you won't be able to go anywhere if this is triggered. Now, get out
of
my sight."
Shaking, Luke got to his feet and stumbled away into the crowd. He was crying,
not from
the pain, but from the terrible feeling of hopelessness. Dazed, he wondered
deeper into the camp until, suddenly, Leerza
was there.
" I saw what happened. Are you alright?" She asked.
Luke continued walking without replying. Leerza grabbed his arm.
" Hey, what's going on? Didn't you hear me?"
" Yeah, I heard you." Luke growled. " What did you get for turning me in? I hope
it was worth it."
" I didn't have anything to do with it! I was with you all the time, remember?"
She
was very upset that he thought she'd betrayed him.
Luke calmed down as he tried to work out what had happened. Finally he turned
to her,
" I'm sorry. It couldn't have been you."
" Well, that's better." Leerza sighed. " What are you going to do now?"
" I really don't know." The boy sighed. " There must be some way around this
thing." He
tugged on the collar, but it didn't budge.
" Honestly!" She put her hands on her hips and stared at him. " You have a one
plot
mind! You saw ehat that thing can do. Do you really think you can still get
away?"
" I have to try." Luke said softly. " It's just going to be harder."
Just then, Florssk appeared. He flipped Luke's collar with a beefy finger.
" Nice decoration you got." Then he turned to Leerza. " You changed your mind
yet? I won't wait forever."
Luke realized the Florssk must have been the one to turn him in. Without
stopping to
think, he threw himself on the older man. Startled, Florssk was rocked back by
the boy's attack, but recovered
quickly. He grabbed Luke and twised his arms up behind him.
" You can't hurt him!" Leerza yelled. " You know what
they'll do to you
if you injure a special!"
" I'm not going to hurt him. I'm just going to make him real sorry he did that.
Unless, of course, you feel like being nice to me?"
Leerza knew Florssk would stop, without her doing anything, as soon as Luke passed out. She was not going to go with Florssk, not for a kid she'd known less than a day. That was the way things went; and the sooner Luke learned it, the better. Still, he was pretty brave, jumping Florssk like that; but it was dumb, just like his escape plans.
She became aware of an old man standing next to her. His voice was gentle, but
strangely compelling.
" Let the boy go." He told Florssk. " You don't want to hurt him."
" I don't want to hurt him." Florssk mumbled, letting go of Luke's arms. The boy
dropped to the ground, unconscious
" You have a lot to attend to. We won't keep you."
Leerza stared in amazement as Florssk walked off without protest.
" How did you do that?" She asked. " Florssk doesn't listen to anyone."
" Practice." The old man smiled at her, then bent over Luke. " He's all right;
but
this seems to have come undone." He handed her the electronic collar that had
been fastened around Luke's neck.
Before she could find her voice, the old man disappeared. Leerza looked at the
collar in disbelief. The old man couldn't have done that. The fastening must
have been defective, and maybe
it worked loose while Luke was struggling with Florssk. She'd just about
convinced herself of this
when Luke stirred and sat up.
His first words were typical, she thought.
" You didn't go with Florssk." He said, then looking bewildered, asked. " Where
is he?"
" Oh, he wandered off when he got bored trying to unscrew your arms. But, he
did do
you a favor." She held out the collar to Luke.
Both his hands went to his neck
" It came off." He said stupidly.
" I figure it must have been busted." Leerza shrugged. " Maybe in the fight.
You could have blown me over with a puff when the old man handed it to me."
" What old man?" Luke questioned, as he got to his feet.
" Some old guy came by and checked you over after Florssk dropped you." Leerza
decided
not to tell Luke about the old man's handling of the bully. She couldn't
believe it herself, and didn't
expect Luke to.
" I guess this means you're going to try your big escape." She was idly drawing
designs in the dirt with her toe, pretending not to be interested in what he
did.
" Yes, and I think I know the best way out. Let me show you." Totally
forgetting the pain
and despair he'd just endured, the boy grabbed her hand and led her off.
Ben watched from the shadows, smiling at the resiliency of youth that could
recover so quickly. Well, it would stand the boy in good stead, he though. And he's taken my suggestion very well.Kenobi had seized the opportunity , when he'd bent over Luke, to suggest a plan
of escape as well as to free the boy
from the collar.
The old Jedi decided it was time for him to leave. He wanted to bring Owen and
Beru to the
spot Luke would reach once he'd made his escape. For a moment, he
paused;wondering what to do about the girl. If she came
with Luke, they'd deal with it, he decided. She deserved a chance at a better
life. As a matter of fact, he wished there
was some way to help all the slaves; but if he freed them, they'd be quickly
recaptured. There was no easy
way off Tatooine with the Imperials doing Jabba's dirty work. Best to
concentrate on safeguarding Luke for the
day when he would be in the position to topple the Empire, and end such
indecencies forever.
While they ate their evening meal, Luke and Leeza were arguing fiercely.
" I don't understand why you won't come with me." The boy said, in total
bewilderment.He'd
offered her a chance at freedom, and she'd turned him down. She wouldn't leave
the camp with him.
" I can't. I just can't. Will you leave it at that?" Leerza was close to tears.
She felt
she couldn't go with him and leave the only life she'd ever known. Luke was
going back to his family. He said they'd
help her, even get her to Ryloth. Trouble was, she'd made it all up. There was
nothing for her out there. Now she
was furious at him for making her face the folly of her glorious fantasy.
" Listen." She started. " You just go and worry about yourself. I can take care
of me
just fine." She turned away from him. " Anyway, there's no guarantee you'll
make it. You might not get past the
guards, and you'll be back here, leaving for Gezeer with the rest of us."
Finally realizing he wasn't going to change her mind, Luke gave up.
" Will you come with me? See me off?" He asked.
" Sure, you'll need help getting safely to the gate. It wouldn't do for you to
get lost
and lose your big chance." She laughed at him. " Besides, someone has to be
there to pick up the pieces if
your scheme goes to hell."
Some time after Second Twilight, when most of the camp was asleep, two quiet
figures
made their way to a corner near the east gate.
" This is it." He told her. " Sure you won't change your mind?"
" No. I guess this is the life I'm used to. Maybe someday I'll make it big, and
come
visit you on this dirtball."
Shyly, he kissed her.
" I hope you make it to Ryloth some day. Good luck, Leerza."
" Luck to you, Luke. Goodbye."
The boy crept toward the gate, staying in the shadows. Leerza could see the guards from where she stood. She tensed, wondering how he was going to get past them. She tensed, wondering how he was going to get past them. She saw his dark from break into the open, headed for the gate. Any minute now, Leerza expected to hear shouts and alarms. She wondered if she'd be foolish enough to try to help him. Special or not, he'd be punished this time.
Ben Kenobi felt the boy's approach from where he lay hidden. Luke was
alone. Not pausing to wonder what had become of the girl, the old Jedi reached
out with the Force to touch
the minds of the guards, projecting a feeling of peace and security.They saw
Luke as he sprited through
the gate, but did not react to his escape. Ben watched as Luke reached the
second line of dunes where Owen
and Beru awaited him.
Luke hugged his Aunt deliriously, while Owen pounded him on the back.
" How did you know I'd be here tonight?" Luke asked.
" Later." His Uncle told him. " We've got to get out of here before anyone
realizes you're gone."
Once they were safely on their way home, Owee told Luke the story Ben
had concocted.
" When we realized what had happened, I remembered this farmer who'd gone to
work
for Jabba after his farm failed. I contacted him, and he got a message back to
us. You must have done something
that made him think you would try to escape. Anyway, he told us which was the
most likely way
out, and we've been waiting there, hoping you'd make it."
" I'm glad you're safe." His aunt leaned over to take Luke's hand. " You
aren't getting
out of my sight for a while, young man. Just so you know that."
Luke laughed.
" I think I'd like to stick close to home; at least until well after the
slave convoy leaves for Gezeer." He became very quiet, remembering Leerza. I wonder if I'll ever see
her again? he thought. I wonder if she'll ever come back to Tatooine?
Back at camp, Leerza had curled up in her sleeping spot to get some rest.
Tomorrow
promised to be exciting.
She didn't think she'd get into trouble over Luke's escape. After all, they
knew he was
wearing one of their foolproof security collars.
For a moment, she wondered if she'd done the right think, not going
with him. Then, she shook herself. Of course she had! She was going to be a
famous dancer, with lots of
wealthy patrons competing for her services.
First thing she needed was a new name. Leerza was too babyish for a star
dancer. What would be a good name? Oola! Yes, that was perfect! From now on,
she'd call herself Oola.
Satisfied, she shook her head; enjoying the feeling as her maturing tentacles
swayed. Life was very, very good.
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