Tatooine will always be a planet to be rescued from: young Anakin Skywalker from slavery, his mother from the Tusken captures, Luke Skywalker from a lost purpose in life, two droids on a mission for a Princess, Han Solo from the clutches of Jaba the Hutt. Luke Skywalker would tell Han Solo not to try and see too much of the planet, that he had grown up there and not much was to be seen. Han Solo would tell Luke he was also going to die for returning there. In the same spirit, Grutex was returning, perhaps to rescue Sandagra, perhaps to die.
"This is a dreadful planet," said Grutex while staring from the cockpit of the Hound's Tooth, which was in orbit over the scorching red planet.
Sheila said, "You will rescue her, Grutex. I know you will."
Karl gave Grutex a pat on the back, almost causing the Raider to tumble over, "We are with you, pal."
Grutex told Karl, "I must do this alone."
Karl asked, "What is it with you and doing things alone?"
Grutex said, "I have always been alone, and I do things better that way. You should not get involved with this; it is a danger you should not risk."
Joel said, "Fine by me, but if you change your mind…"
Grutex said, "I will not change my mind; I must do this alone."
Bossk, hand cuffed in the cockpit, seated in the chair most to the rear; hissed and gurgled. Joel said to the alien lizard humanoid, "Don't worry, I have a plan for you."
Joel and his crew were back in the cargo bay boarding the Imperial shuttle, he asked RP, "How long do we have?"
RP said, "Only a few more minutes, we need to hurry."
Grutex asked, "What's going on?"
Joel replied, "I had RP hack in to the Hound's Tooth. Bossk and his ship are going to point towards the deepest reaches of unknown space and travel in to light speed as far as the fuel tanks will take it."
Gutex said, "You really don't like him, do you?"
"No," said Joel. "I really don't."
Sheila still had her nose clasped and said, "Can we be moving along?" and she boarded the shuttle.
Inside the shuttle the crew quickly prepped the shuttle for departure. The engines fired up and it lifted from the cargo bay deck, turning and jetting into space over the hot planet Tatooine. Only moments later, the Hound's Tooth streaked away into hyperspace.
RP said, "There are several Imperial vessels here. We will be tracked for sure."
Joel asked, "Is there a way to remove the tracking beacon?"
RP said, "Yes, but it has to be done manually. The transmitter must be removed from the external mount on the shuttle."
Joel thumped his index finger on his lip, "Okay. That gives me a plan."
The shuttle landed in a small canyon cavity, far enough from Grutex's clan to be unnoticed. The boarding platform opened and the crew stepped out, Joel laid out his plan. "Karl, get that signal transmitter off of this shuttle, but don't damage it. No doubt we are being tracked now. We are going to jettison the transmitter into space and throw the Empire off our trail."
Grutex watched as the crew began to work furiously and he turned, heading towards his homestead. Joel looked up from the work he was performing and saw the Raider walking away and shouted, "You're not going to say bye?"
Grutex stopped and faced the crew, all of who had paused from their work to hear his reply. How could he answer and explain the many feelings coursing through him? He simply said, "I can never repay you. Thank you, all of you."
Sheila said, "You don't have to repay friends."
Karl waved his wrench in the air and said, "Go get your woman you Raider!"
Joel winked and said, "Good luck, Grutex."
Grutex bowed to the friends he had made and turned back to his trek across the canyon base.
Farther away in the canyon, Sandagra and Babgrat were huddled in a pocket on the canyon wall. Sandagra asked, "Are you sure we are being followed?"
Babgrat nodded and whispered, "I expected as much. I am not sure why we are being followed, but I spotted one of them. A Tusken from our tribe, one of our better trackers. I do know the Empire is searching for something along with the war lord. Maybe they think we have it?"
Sandagra furiously said, "We will have to get rid of them."
Babgrat said, "If they wanted to capture us, they would have already. They are watching us, hoping we will lead them to something."
"But what?"
Shaking his head, Babgrat said, "I don't know."
Sandagra slowly looked up towards the sky and spoke from a realization, "Grutex."
"What?" asked Babgrat.
"They want us to lead them to Grutex. He is still alive."
Babgrat said, "It makes sense. They are looking for something or someone, and we both have him in common."
With joy Sandagra exclaimed, "He's alive! And he must be here. I know where he will go."
"How can you know?"
Sandagra said, "Because we promised to meet there if we had to run away. We have passed it, but if we go back not too far, we will be there." Then she looked around the canyon riff, "But what about them? We can't lead them back to him."
Babgrat said, "Leave them to me."
Peering down over the cliff of the canyon, one of the Tusken Raiders tracking Babgrat and Sandagra was startled as one of his companions kneeled down beside him. The newly joined tracker asked, "Any new movements?"
"No. They have entered that small cavern below us and have not exited."
"Are you sure?" the other asked.
"Yes. The caverns here are shallow with no back exits."
"Do you think we should be down closer?"
The tracker shook his head, "No, they might pick up on us."
"But they are a bit too far away from us. What if we needed to apprehend them?"
"Then we go down there. They can't run far before we would catch them."
The tracker leaned farther over the edge, "Sure. But it sure is a long way down there." With that being said, the tracker flew over the edge and down to his death on the canyon floor.
The remaining Tusken tracker twisted in panic and saw Babgrat standing behind him. Babgrat had quietly moved behind them and kicked the companion tracker over the edge. Thrusting his foot out once more, Babgrat kicked at the remaining tracker, who caught Babgrat's foot and pushed him backwards. After leaping from the ground, the tracker pounced on Babgrat and the two were in a scuffle, each struggling for an upper hand. As they rolled and fought, several times they came within inches of both tumbling over the canyon's edge.
A lucky elbow landed a blow on Babgrat which placed him at a disadvantage. He was on his back, his arms pressed down by the tracker's knees, and being choked. Babgrat had but one body part to fight back with, his legs. He kicked upward, hoping to catch the tracker by the head and throwing him off. Instead, because of the incline they fought on, Babgrat tumbled into a back flip, plunging the tracker off of him and over the cliff, also to his death. Babgrat lay closely by the cliff edge and caught his breath, rubbing his sore neck, considering how lucky he had been.
Babgrat returned to Sandagra, and she asked, "Are you alright?"
He gestured that he was fine.
She asked, "Was that all of them?"
"I think so," he said.
But it was not. There was one tracker left who was still watching them, who had observed the demise of his companions. He knew he would have to stay in the shadows and be more secretive. He would have to plan a crafty capture. Still watching from above, he saw Babgrat and Sandagra move on their way, and he too moved out.
Grutex sat in the same spot where he and Sandagra had shared their hearts on the day their fates changed. His mind was plotting, looking forward. On one hand, he might need the light saber upon his return to the tribe for protection. On the other hand, it was almost certain the Empire would be there. If they caught him with the weapon on him, then it would all be over. He could hear the whisper in his mind trying to reach him, but he would not listen. This would take planning, not an act of some unsure faith.
Ignoring the whispers in his mind, pushing them away with his own reasoning, Grutex hid the light saber in a small crevice. It could still be seen, but who would come looking for it here in the middle of nowhere?
He had hoped to find Sandagra here. He had hoped to find her escaped and hiding, waiting on his return. It was not to be so. Grutex knew he had to take matters into his own hands, and rescue her and Babgrat.
Grutex picked himself up and dusted himself off. He gazed for a only a moment at the stone hanging around his neck, and stepped forward, on his way towards his destiny. He was soon over the canyon riff which led down to his homestead. All appeared to be normal, with no sign of the Empire in sight. Quietly, he began to make his way down.
Knowing he needed help to rescue Sandagra from the war lord's cavern, it would be important to rally Babgrat for support. Grutex stayed to the shadows. From ahead he saw three figures walking his way. He was certain he knew these figures, a trio of the war lord's henchmen. Grutex knew what sort of trouble would start if he were spotted, so he ducked into a cavern.
Inside the cavern he was taken aback to see a group of humans tied, sitting on the ground. They were unguarded at the moment, but no doubt the henchmen were probably on their way here now to cover that post. Grutex only stood there, staring.
Huff spoke up, "What the hell are you looking at, you Sand Head?" Huff nodded his head towards a pile of blasters in the corner of the cavern, "You like to taunt us with the idea we might get our hands on a blaster? If I ever get untied…"
"You can't," said Grutex.
Huff was shocked, "How do you speak to us? What kind of gizmo do you have under your mask?"
Grutex quickly shuffled over to the farmers, "You can't break free from these bindings, it is made from Bantha spleen, which is the strongest bindings you will ever find. You are tied in way to keep you immobilized, a way which has been tested on prisoners for centuries."
Grutex reached down behind Huff and began to work with the bindings. Huff asked, "What are you doing?"
"I am setting you free, but I need something in return."
Huff was astonished, "Why would you set me free?"
One final tug and Huff's hands were free, he rubbed his wrists. Grutex asked him, "Is that really important?"
Huff shook his head, "Maybe not."
"We must hurry. They are returning to you soon."
Huff stood and said, "As soon as I get my blaster I am going to…"
"No!" commanded Grutex.
"No? What do you mean no. I am going to lay this place to waste."
Grutex said, "I need you to escape. I need you to run away, and to make as much noise as you can as you leave."
Huff began helping Grutex untie the other farmers, "You need me to do what?"
"I need a diversion. I need you and your men to run for it. Go as quickly as you can. No one will expect you to escape from these bindings. Get your weapons, leave. Make noise and never return."
Huff contemplated the orders, "Okay. We'll leave. But I can't promise I will never return with more and finish this."
"That will be up to you. But most of this tribe is good people. Let what I am doing for you now be proof of that."
Huff and Nade grabbed their blasters from the cave corner and peeked around the edge of the exit. Huff looked back in at the other farmers who were now freed. Grutex felt anxious. Would this human keep his word or begin slaughtering his people? It was now so real a horrible risk. "You heard him, let's make some noise."
Huff led the way, and the farmers roared into the canyon shouting obscenities and firing their weapons in the air, running for freedom. Following soon were several Tusken Raiders. Grutex stayed hidden in the cavern until the commotion had passed by, then he crept out. There was still excitement in the homestead as he made his way, so keyed up from the farmer's escape they did not notice the exiled Raider was back in the homestead.
In through Babgrat's tent Grutex slid. Inside, he found someone seated, tied by hands and feet, and gagged by an inserted plug of goo in the mouth orifice of the mask, as well as blind folded. Grutex rushed to the figure, "Babgrat! Don't worry, I am here."
Grutex took the blindfold down from the figure, only to recognize the figure tied to the seat was an imposter. Reeling back in a slowly revealing air of comprehension, Grutex knew he had been tricked. He stepped backward and spun around, dashing back out of the tent only to find he was surrounded by Tusken henchmen. In a panic, he searched for the whispers in his mind, but there were none. The war lord stepped through the line of henchmen and laughed, "Welcome back. Maybe you were tougher than I had expected."
Grutex kept his distance from the affronting Tuskens, "Where are they? Where are Grutex and Sandagra?"
The war lord said, "You know what I want. Where is it?"
Grutex said, "I don't know what you are talking about."
"I commend you on stealing a prize of the Empire, the light saber. But I want it. If you wish to see Babgrat or Sandagra, then give it to me."
It would be a small price to pay in order to have his loved ones back, "It is hidden. I will not tell you where it is until you have released Babgrat and Sandagra."
The war lord revealed a small device from his tunic and placed his thumb on the button, "I had hoped we could do this easy way." He pressed the button and turned to his henchmen. "Tie him up."
Grutex struggled as the henchmen grabbed him, "Where are they?"
The war lord turned and said, "I don't know. They went away. I would guess they are doing better than you are right now. But I will catch them."
"If you harm them…" Grutex threatened.
"What? What will you do? Do you think you can be so lucky twice?"
The war lord ignored any more threats from Grutex and strolled back into the mix of the tribe. The henchmen tied Grutex and waited. Grutex watched as the Tuskens went about their routines, as though nothing had happened, the same way they had the night the war lord had murdered someone as a youth so many years ago. "Mindless herd of Banthas," Grutex murmured.
Imperial troopers arrived soon, and Grutex witnessed the war lord exchanging words with the sergeant. Four troopers surrounded Grutex and began to lead him away from the homestead. Grutex could not say he would miss the place, but he worried for Babgrat and Sandagra. He dreaded the thoughts of what would happen to each, Babgrat probably executed, and Sandagra forever a slave to the war lord.
One of the troopers stepped very closely to Grutex and said, "I can't believe it, is it you?"
Grutex heard the trooper and stared at him blankly. "Who do you believe I am?"
"You're the Tusken we left on Hoth. Right? Remember, I am the trooper who had your cuffs removed."
Grutex said, "You have got to be kidding."
The trooper said, "It's so cool you can speak. Tough break, being exiled twice. Looks like you would stop coming back."
The sergeant commanded, "Let's cut out the chatter."
The trooper said, "Tough break." He stepped away from Grutex.
An Imperial shuttle was awaiting them, but before they could board the sergeant held his ear piece on his helmet and relayed a message to his troop. "We have to wait here. Seems there has been an attack on the Death Star in the Yavin system. We are to hold our positions until the issue is resolved. Looks as though we may see the end of the Rebellion today."
The other troopers stood silently, but all were relieved to hear the news. It would be good to have this dispute over with.
Grutex knew only what he had heard from Babgrat concerning the rebels. He also remembered the size of the Death Star, and how impossible it seemed to him that the rebels would have the slightest hope of defeating the Empire now. Were the rebels stationed on Yavin? He hoped not. Grutex also remembered what had become of Alderaan.
