There is a story told by the Jawas, of how the cridnot, a spider type organism which lives on Tatooine, blends in with the sand and the stone and stalks its prey; and true to the story it does. This story also tells of how one particular tiny cridnot saw a Jawa one day, and wished to eat it. The cridnot followed the Jawa, and witnessed the Jawa stepping on another cridnot. So, the cridnot knew it was far too tiny to eat the Jawa, but never the less, an incredible desire had begun. Keeping to the sand and stone, ever blending in, it remained hidden, following the Jawa until the day the Jawa died.

Still, the Jawa was too large. And now, to add to the complications, the Jawa was dead. Cridnots do not scavenge. So the tiny cridnot followed another Jawa unto death with the same results, and another, and another, and another, always hiding, the raw desire keeping it alive. All the while, the cridnot grew and grew, until finally one day it found itself large enough and wise enough to see what it was very different now. The cridnot wrapped itself in rags, ashamed of what had become. And this was the first Tusken Raider.

And so, the remaining Tusken tracker following Sandagra and Babgrat quietly, and closely, blended in with the sand and the stone and hungrily desired his prey. This particular tracker was the very best of the best, in all of Tusken Raiders. His name had been changed to Ishmeaditoo, which meant 'shadow of a spirit'. The status of his legend stated he could run at you, full sprint, and never be seen before he attacked you.

Sandagra had hoped to find Grutex waiting on her in the spot where she had devoted her love to him. He was not there. She asked Babgrat, "Could I have been wrong? Could he be…"

Babgrat knew she was going to ask if Grutex could be dead, and he stopped her. "He could be anywhere. This does not mean he is dead. Maybe he has not made it back to Tatooine yet."

"If this is true, then we should wait. He will come here first."

Babgrat agreed with her and the two sat. "I am sure he will not be far away. He has always admired you."

"He told me so, here. This is where I gave him the stone of my heart, before everything went so badly." She whimpered a bit in her speech, "If I had not run away that day, none of this would have happened. All of the bad things would never have happened, Grutex would still be…"

Babgrat said, "Sandagra, that is enough of this talk. Bad things will always happen. If you had not run away, then you would have never known of his love for you. Good things, really good things, will always have some evil try and stop them. Now is not the time…" He tried to look directly at her, but something shiny was irritating his eyes, "Now is not the time to cry, it is a time to fight, a time…" And he tried to look directly at her again, and the shining was even brighter. "It is a time to fight and a time for your heart to…" A third attempt he made to look directly at her, but whatever was lying in the stones behind her was savagely reflecting the sun. "It is time to… time to… find out what the hell that is."

Sandagra lifted her head as Babgrat stood and walked past her, "What?"

His back was turned to her, and he had taken something from the stone shelving. He was silent. He was still. His head rose proudly and he turned to her, holding a light saber in his hands. "He was here."

She stood and went to Babgrat, cupping the hands which held the weapon of the Jedi, "My Grutex," was all she said. Her heart glowed and fluttered; it was hope restored.

Hope has a funny way of turning on a dime. As she was being dragged backwards with a Tusken forearm wrapped around her neck, Babgrat could not but for a moment be in admiration of the tracker's stealth. It could only be, "Ishmeaditoo, release her."

Ishmeaditoo growled in the most barbaric tone of Tusken, "Give me the saber. Both of you are coming back with me. Do it or I will kill her now, you know I can."

Babgrat argued, "Ishmeaditoo, I knew your parents. What would they say about what has become of you?"

"They would say Ishmeaditoo is my son, and the greatest of all trackers. Hand the weapon over or I kill her now, old Tusken."

Babgrat gave the saber over and Ishmeaditoo released Sandagra. He said, "Now, both of you lead the way, back to the tribe. I'm sure I could use this weapon if I needed to."

The two captives led way, back to the tribe, with the tracker following.

Waiting is a dreadful chore. It is even more dreadful when one is a prisoner of the Empire, standing amongst six Storm Troopers, (one of which had abducted you once before). Two trooper stood steadfast by Grutex while the others milled around. Some compared blasters, some gazed in to the distance, but the Sergeant stayed by the shuttle at full attention.

The Sergeant said, "Attention everyone." The milling stopped, as did all other amblings, and the troopers faced the Sergeant. He had a hand by the ear of his helmet. "An important update from the battle of Yavin. Everyone quiet."

The Sergeant held the pose of someone trying to hear the ocean in a shell. Of course, Tatooine could use an ocean. Then, abruptly, the Sergeant slumped slightly, as though he were ill. He slowly took his hand down from his ear. The other men waited for the update, and finally the Sergeant said, "The Death Star has been destroyed."

A mild hysteria broke out, and amongst the hysteria, Grutex remained motionless. Questions flew all bout, how, when, why. The Sergeant said firmly, "Get yourselves together men. We are still a unit with a job to do." The men regained their composures one by one, and he said, "I don't have all of the details yet. But yes, the entire station was destroyed."

"Do the rebels have something bigger?" asked a trooper.

"I repeat, I do not have details."

"What do we do? We were stationed there?" another asked.

"We finish our job here, and we meet back up with the fleet." The Sergeant raised his blaster and placed it aggressively beneath Grutex's chin, "Okay, you are going to tell me now where that light saber is. I am not going back empty handed. You have three seconds to comply, or we are marching back in your clan and killing as many as we can as quickly as we can. If that doesn't kill them all, I will order in a bombing."

Grutex listened to the counting, and wondered if the war lord had any idea of the death and destruction he had invited upon his people. Before the number three could be spoken, Grutex said, "Okay. I will take you."

The Sergeant jammed the blaster once more into Grutex's chin and said, "I thought so."

There would be no moving, though. One of the troopers behind the Sergeant fell to the ground one of a barrage of energy blasts sailed amongst them. The Sergeant returned the fire as the men scattered to take cover. He went down quickly while standing his ground. Grutex dove down to the sand, using the fallen Sergeant for cover.

The attack was rapid and brief. The firing had stopped, but Grutex dared not move. Then someone said, "You just going to lay there?"

Grutex, still shaking, looked up to see Huff Darklighter and perhaps twenty farmers in their speeders, all armed with blasters. Grutex tried standing; the hand cuffs were making it very difficult. Huff took him by the elbow and lifted him to his feet. Huff said, "Stand up, now." He began removing his Grutex's cuffs and said, "I don't know if you have heard. The Empire took a big blow today. Ha! My son Beggs was with them. I can't wait to hear the stories." Huff had not yet received the news that his son had died in the battle.

Grutex rubbed his sore wrists as Huff could plainly read the curious stance of the Raider. Huff found it remarkable at how readable body language could be, "What s'matter with you? You are the Raider who can speak, right? I didn't rescue the wrong one did I?"

Grutex said, "Yes, I am the one. I was just wondering… I thought you hated Tuskens."

Huff said, "Well, there's one I like. Any enemy of the Empire is a friend of mine."

Grutex was silent in awe. Huff nudged him on the arm and said, "You didn't think you were in this alone, did you?"

Grutex only nodded, and immediately, thoughts of Sandagra were assaulting him. "I have to go."

Huff called after him as he trotted away, "Sure. You're welcome Raider." Grutex shrank in the distance as he ran, Huff shrugged, "I would have given him a ride. Oh well." Huff admired the Imperial Shuttle as though he had just killed a trophy meal, "Looky what we have, boys. I wonder how the rebellion could use this?" Little did Huff know, it would be the shuttle to hide Luke, Han, and Leia as they planned an attack on a second Death Star years to come.

Grutex ran as fast as he could. He was on his way back to the location where he had made his promise to Sandagra. His heart felt as though it would burst from his chest, and he could not tell if it was fatigue or the anxious possibility of seeing Sandagra again. He guessed it was maybe some of both.

His feet came to a sliding halt. There she was, standing in the sand, a breeze toying with her tunic. Beside her was Babgrat, shoulder's slump and hands bound, as was hers. To the left of them, just beyond the canyon rim, stood the war lord, palming his new prize in his hand. Vertigo almost caused Grutex to fall over. Had he traveled full circle only for this?

The war lord engaged the saber, and it glowed brightly. He waved it in Sandagra's direction, "On your knees, Grutex."

Grutex said, "Wait. Wait. You have what you want. Turn them loose." Did Grutex hear someone whisper behind him?

"I do have all I want, well almost," said the war lord. "I have this," and he waved the light saber in the air, "I don't know if I will turn this over to the Empire or not. I sort of like it."

Grutex dropped to one knee, "Just let them go."

"And soon I will have you… dead. That's something I should have done a while ago. But it's nothing can't be fixed."

Grutex slid his other knee to the sand beneath him, "Just let them go."

"And I will be rid of Babgrat too. He's weak, and he taught you to be weak. And the weak do not survive amongst the Tusken." The war lord was now approaching Grutex.

Grutex said, "Just let them go." Calm your mind. Trust me.

"And of course, I have Sandagra." The war lord raised the saber high, prepared to land on Grutex's head. "And isn't that what this is really all about."

Something in you has been awakened. Grutex pushed his hand forward, and energy flowed from the whispers, through him, from all about him, like a vacuum of fresh wind, a deep breath inhaled and blown out. The war lord was lifted high and was thrown to the ground by some invisible force. The saber bounced from his hand and rolled dormant just beyond his reach.

Hatred boiled within Grutex. He looked upon Sandagra and Babgrat, neither understanding what they were witnessing. The war lord began to raise himself up, and Grutex would have none of this. This corrupted, venomous being would not be allowed to harm anyone else again, ever. Hatred. Raw and pure.

Grutex's reached out with his right hand, and his fingers made a terrible curl. The war lord instantly reached for his own throat. He felt a grip around his neck, a grip by something invisible, a grip he could not pull away with his own hands. There were no whispers now. There was no guidance. Only left was a contempt, straight and true, throbbing in his temples and down his arm. Grutex felt as though he could shoot electricity into the war lord if he only willed it.

Tendons squeezed and popped in the war lord's neck. He could not have called for mercy even if his pride would have allowed it. The suffering was slow. It was plain to the war lord this force could have snapped his neck in an instant, but it seemed Grutex was enjoying the pace. It seemed Grutex was taking pleasure in doing this ever so slowly.

With his hatred, Grutex could also feel the haunt of death, as solid as the cliffs of the canyons below. The closer he came to squeezing the life from the war lord, the closer he came to this haunt, and he knew he had to pass through it. It was evident; hatred had poisoned this force he had used. In order to kill with this blind hate, he had to cross over death itself and taste the life he was taking. It was sad, and sorrowful, and in it all the pulse and understanding of every misfortune his victim had ever had in his life. Grutex had to drink from this rotting, pungent sorrow, and ignore it as he passed over into the darkness. Yet, inside Grutex, there was a compassion, a sadness of his own, which compelled him not to drink.

Grutex dropped his hand to his side, and the war lord released his own hands which had sought out the invisible force. The war lord took a deep breath of relief and knew instantly, he would not give Grutex this chance again. The war lord began to scramble both back to his feet and for the saber.

Sandagra had no reasoning for the changes in Grutex. Who was he now? What was this power he possessed? How did he ever come to possess the light saber? Was there any of the old Grutex left? Did he still love her?

Throwing her body in a mad charge against the war lord to keep him away from the saber had many purposes. One, to save Grutex, two, to save her own life, three, to save Babgrat, but no purpose so prominent as to have the answer to the last question. She shoved hard into the war lord, her hands tied, so a tackle could not be achieved. However, she did keep the war lord from retrieving the saber.

Never to be one to fight slowly or not take an advantage, the war lord grabbed the female and closed his elbow around her neck. Grutex knew the war lord had no problem drinking from the cup of death, as a matter of fact, he was sure the war lord had been drunk from it many times. Grutex charged. The war lord reached over his shoulder with his other hand and grabbed his gaderffii from his back. He flung it towards Grutex as mightily as he could, striking Grutex on the head, tearing his cowl up the side, sending Grutex to the ground. Dazed, Grutex struggled to get back to his feet while trying to hold his mask to his face as it was falling open.

The war lord struck Sandagra an uncompromising blow to the side of her head, send her down on all fours, stars twinkling in her vision. He roared as he approached Grutex, dragging Sandagra along, "You think you could beat me? I would never give in. Never. I will torch you in your sleep before I would ever…"

The whining of an engine abruptly silenced the war lord as an Imperial shuttle sank in to view, blowing sand all about. From the shuttle's intercom came a voice, "Get away from them you Sand Head." It was Joel's voice, "We have a shuttle full of blasters just itching to grind you up."

The war lord could not understand a word of it, and thought it to be the Empire arriving, coming to claim their prizes and to reward him. With this belief, he began to loosen his grip on Sandagra. She too, could not comprehend a single word coming from the shuttle. She too, knowing the war lord had been in dealings with the Imperials, misunderstood it to be the sealing of her fate. Her hand bumped something on the ground, tangled in her tunic. The wind from the shuttle flapped her tunic around, and she caught a glimpse of it. Something shiny. Something metallic. A cylinder of some kind.

The war lord called out in Tusken, "It's about time you showed up. I expect seven times my usual reward…"

These were his last words as Sandagra thrust the glowing blade of the saber into him. It was truly a shame she could not see his eyes behind the mask as he fell; she would have given most anything to have seen the surprise.

She extinguished the blade and looked for Grutex. There he was, still lying in the sand. Someone was leaning over him, crouching. It was a human. She was sure it had to be an Imperial there to finish the war lord's job. She rushed to Grutex, and when she arrived there, she saw a thick human male gripping Grutex's torn mask. It would be easy for the human to pull the cowl from Grutex's head. Grutex was fumbling in a combative, dazed manner with the human. She was ready to re-ignite the saber.

Then she heard the human speak, and though she could not make out a single word, she did understand the gentle and soothing tone in which the human spoke. It was Karl, "Easy, Grutex. Easy, pal. It's okay."

The human was not trying to remove the mask; he was gently trying to mend it. Grutex slowly became aware of who was holding him, and he stopped fighting back. Karl was able to twist the bindings of the mask to keep it from falling apart. "There you go buddy. All better, kind of."

Karl looked up to see Sandagra. He gave a wicked smile to Grutex, "This her?"

Grutex saw her too, "Yes, yes it is."

Sandagra and Karl helped Grutex to his feet, and Karl said, "Okay. Good to meet you."

Grutex whispered, "She can't understand you Karl."

"OH, oh, yeah, right. Well…" and he nodded politely to Sandagra, "Guess I will give you two a moment."

Grutex reached down and took the war lord's gaff, the gaff of the tribe leader. He embraced the side of Sandagra's head, "Give me a moment." He carried the gaff to Babgrat and gave it to him.

Babgrat said, "I knew you would come back."

Grutex said, "Yes. But I am not going back."

"But you defeated the war lord, you have to return and take your place…"

Grutex interrupted, "Chieftain is not my place. My place lies elsewhere, with someone else."

Babgrat peered past at Sandagra, "Ah."

"Besides, she technically defeated him."

Babgrat looked at the chieftain gaff in his hands. Grutex asked, "How does it feel?" Before Babgrat could speak, Grutex said, "Teach our clan a better way. There is always hope."

Babgrat said, "So, is this goodbye, my son?"

Grutex began back to Sandagra, and saw the rest of his friends with her. He glanced back at Babgrat, "Not goodbye. Who knows what could happen."

Sheila said, "Grutex, I am having RP disassemble the intercom link on the shuttle."

"Whatever for?"

"So your beautiful companion can have the same kind of interpreter as you do. There's no reason why the two of you should be confined to this tiny world." Sheila smiled, only as Sheila could.

Joel took Grutex by the arm and said, "You should come with us. Both of you. Come with us."

Grutex said, "I think we will explore this world better first, and then who knows."

Joel nodded, "I understand. But if you want a stellar honeymoon…"

Grutex said, "Maybe one day I will take you up on that."

Location. Everyone in the universe knows it is important. None so more than Grutex. The twilight approached, which can be beautiful, even on Tatooine. In the location where Sandagra had pledged herself to Grutex, the two of them sat alone, once more.

Grutex had new wrappings on his face, and Sandagra rubbed them gently. She said in her new human voice, "I think it is very handsome. But not as handsome as what is beneath."

A moment of silence and Grutex took her hands, "I told you I would come back."

"Yes, you did."

He asked, astonished, "Did you ever doubt?"

She exclaimed, "Well, I thought you were exiled, then dead… so… no, I never doubted."

Grutex breathed in and said, "I love you."

She replied, "I love you too." Then she added, "I also liked your friends, you will have to tell me everything that happened."

"We have plenty of time for that. Later."

They leaned in closely, and she asked, "So what do we do now?"

Grutex said, "Let's run away. Together."

The End

Storm Trooper bodies were strewn all about where the farmers had rescued the Raider. The shuttle was gone. The laid sprawled about as though they were lazy and sleeping. One, though, stirred. Amongst the dead, there was one only injured.

He sat up in the steaming Tatooine heat, the temperature regulator damaged in his armor. He removed his helmet from his head to reveal his dark hair and brown eyes. Once, he had helped exile a Tusken Raider to Hoth.

"I sure could use a drink of cold water."