The Cave
Time: 70 years ABY
Place: Tatooine
"Come on, guys! Hurry up!" cried Brant at his friends, who were lagging behind. Asani was in front while her boyfriend, Owen, followed her.
"We're coming!" yelled the feisty young Asani. "Why are we here, anyway?"
Brant answered, "Don't you want to see a ghost?"
"There are no ghosts, Brant," Asani answered wryly.
Owen stumbled behind the raven-haired Asani on some fallen rocks and replied, "Not what I heard about this cave."
Brant complied. "Right. My brother said he heard all kinds of voices in there last year."
Asani groaned, "I don't know, Brant. Besides, I don't feel so good."
"That's because you drank too much of your daddy's invention. What was it called?"
"Pumpkin juice. It's not bad. Just a little dry."
Owen scoffed. "Dry on Tatooine. That is news."
All three reached the entrance to the cave and stood gaping at the wide hole.
"It sure is dark in there," noted Owen as his voice echoed back..
Brant pulled out a small glow stick and said, "Not for long. Are you two coming?" No answer. "Don't tell me you're yellow."
"Yellow?" Asani asked.
"Yeah. Means scared. Don't you know Basic?"
"Not Loser Basic," she quipped.
"Can it, you two," cried Owen. "Are we really going in there?"
Brant shrugged. "Nothing better to do on this dust bowl."
"It's just that Old Man Skywalker warned me of this cave."
Brant scoffed. "You spend too much time with that old man. He's just a crazy old hermit."
"He's a good man," pleaded Owen.
"A good man who talks to himself," shot back Brant. "He claims he was some great Jedi before they were all banished. I wouldn't listen to him."
Asani countered Brant with, "Your brother went inside last year and then left the planet. Talk about yellow."
Brant snapped, "Just because my brother escaped this sand trap doesn't mean he's yellow. Now, are we going in, or what?"
Owen shrugged. "Might as well. At least it'll be cooler in there."
"Let's go, then," Brant beckoned as he turned toward the dark entrance.
They each entered the cave single file slowly with Brant in the lead. He showed his glow stick along the pathway into the cave. The light from the Tatooine suns dissipated the deeper they went into the cave. Unfortunately, the heated air wasn't that much cooler inside.
The path they walked on was worn with sharp gravel. Owen held onto Asani's hand tight as they walked along further inside. Except for the sound of their feet sliding against the gravel, it was quiet. Almost deathly quiet. They had yet to hear creatures of any kind.
"Spooky," Brant murmured. Even as low as his voice was, it still echoed against the high rock walls. "Hello!" he then shouted and started laughing as his word repeated multiple times.
Asani cried in a whisper, "You idiot! You could wake up whatever is hiding in here."
Brant sneered sarcastically. "You don't mean ghosts, do you? Because there's no such thing as ghosts."
Owen's head perked up. "Shh. Do you hear that?"
"Hear what?" asked Brant.
"I don't know. Sounds like something…dripping."
Asani listened and said, "Yes. I hear it now. Boy, you've got great hearing, Owen."
Brant strained to hear and said, "Sounds like…water."
"Wait, Brant," Owen cried out. But Brant was already heading deeper into the cave. Asani and Owen tried to keep up with Brant.
They could hear Brant crying out, "Man, if we could find water on Tatooine, we'd be rich!"
They finally found him in what looked like a large clearing. The sound was even louder here. He stood still and flashed his light on the cave floor.
Dry as a bone.
Brant was confused as he said, "If it's not water, what is that sound?" Brant raised his light up along the wall of the cave and then towards the ceiling.
Straight above them were thousands of beige-colored creatures with wide set wings and hanging upside-down.
Owen whispered, "That's what I was trying to tell you. It isn't water. It's something living. They're sand bats."
Brant questioned, "And how'd you know that?"
Asani whispered loudly again. "Be quiet, you two! Sand bats are sensitive to loud noises."
As if on cue, they heard another sound that rumbled from deep within the cave. It was a loud and ferocious roar.
All three of them stood frozen in place.
Brant announced, "That's a Krayt dragon."
The roar sounded again and this time it seemed to awaken the sand bats above them. They stirred as they started to fly down from the ceiling.
Asani yelled, "Let's get out of here!"
They all turned and bolted back the way they came as the bats were screeching from behind them. They could feel their wings flapping alongside them as they were being chased out of the cave. They finally could see the light of the exit and they leapt outside and landed with three thuds. The bats flew past them into the sky.
They each slowly picked themselves up and dusted off the sand from their clothes.
Owen turned to see a figure of a man dressed in tattered robes and holding a withered cane. It was Old Man Skywalker.
The old man said in his aged, but wise voice, "What did I tell you about this cave?"
Owen gulped and replied, "To not go near it."
"With good reason," the old man said before he coughed. "Hope this will teach you to listen to your elders."
"Yes, sir," said Asani.
"Now," Skywalker started, "which of you knew that the bats were there?"
"I...I did," answered Owen. "Sir."
"How did you know?"
"I just knew, sir. The sound. It didn't echo like water should have."
Brant retorted, "Yeah, right. You probably knew they were there all along."
"No, I didn't." Owen glanced at Skywalker. "I just...sensed them."
Brant cried, "What are you? Some kind of ancient Jedi?"
"That's ridiculous, Brant," said Asani.
Owen gave a nervous laugh. "Yeah. Ridiculous."
Skywalker eased over to Owen with cane in hand and said, "Your mother has taught you well, son."
"Come on, this is boring, Owen. Let's go!" Brant said.
"You go along. I'll catch up," Owen replied.
"Fine. I'm out of here." Brant then walked back to their speeder.
Asani looked into Owen's eyes and Owen repeated, "I'll catch up."
She glanced at Old Man Skywalker and then back at Owen and gave Owen a peck on the cheek. "Okay. Don't hurry. Take all the time you need." She then walked back to the speeder, leaving Owen and Skywalker alone.
Skywalker cleared his throat and said, "Your mother told you, didn't she?"
Owen slowly nodded. "A few nights ago. She told me...about who my father really was. And who she was once. I'm still trying to accept it all."
"I'd expect nothing less."
"I guess we have more of a connection than I thought."
Brant's voice yelled out before Skywalker could reply. "Come on, Owen!"
Skywalker said, "Maybe we can talk some other time. Alone."
"I'd like that."
"Good. Now, move along home. It's getting dark. You don't want to add Sand People to the list of things chasing you today."
Owen obliged and ran off to their landspeeder.
The old man stayed by the cave and approached the opening. He sat down on a rock with a heavy grunt of pain from his old bones. He looked into the darkness of the entrance and he uttered, "Still up to your old tricks, I see."
I just can't help myself.
The old man laughed and coughed. "I remember the feeling. Nice Krayt dragon, by the way."
I learned from the best.
"You seem to have all the best teachers and students now." He coughed again almost uncontrollably.
You don't sound so well.
The old man finished coughing and said, "That's my curse for being healthy for my ninety years. You get to watch all of your friends and family die before you."
Except for one. So she told Owen? You think he believes it?
"He knows. And believes. Allana saw to that. He just doesn't want to say anything in front of his friends."
I can relate. Looks like he has someone besides Allana to look after him. She's a beauty.
"You know the Skywalkers can't have something like a little love to interrupt the line," Skywalker said sarcastically.
Where would we be without love? All of us will be waiting for you when you're ready to join us. Especially her, Luke.
The old man stood up with a struggle and replied, "I know. And it will be soon. Very soon, father."
THE END