Shara had spent the night restlessly. She had tossed and turned but to no avail. She always had trouble sleeping in unfamiliar places. The room was black.

Shara sat up in her cot. She lit up a glow rod and check the time. Dawn was several hours away.

Shara looked around at her sleeping quarters. The room was bare exept for the cot on which she sat and the cot beside her. Jaina lay on the cot parallel to hers, her chest rising and falling peacefully as she sleeped.

Shara rotated her legs over the cot and onto the cool stone floor. She rose, blacking out momentarily as the blood flowed downward from her head to her feet. She suddenly realized that her throat was unusually dry. Stumbling over to a small table by the door, she groped for the water bottle that she knew she had left sitting there. Her fingers found it's smooth plastic exterior and she lifted it up off the table. As soon as she lifted it, Shara realized that it was empty. She frowned.

There was the sound of footsteps outside the door and Shara paused, listening. The footsteps continued down the hall.

Shara felt around infront of her for the doorknob. She clasped her hands around it and pulled. It slid into the room with a groan and she bit her lip, hoping that the noise had not woken Jaina. When Jaina's soft breathing continued on, Shara slipped outside the door and closed it quietly behind her.

The hallway was lit by small lamps that adorned either side of the walls. The hall sloped upward to her left in the direction that she had heard the footsteps. However, the hall was now vacant and quiet. She stood there momentarily, puzzled.

I know I heard footseps, she thought

She headed up the incline. On either side of her the walls were inlaid with large rocks. A thin layer of dust had collect on either side of the middle path in the hall.

By now Shara's throat ached badly. She continued trudging alone up the hallway, and more than once thought of turning back. But she knew someone had passed this way just moments before.

At the end of the hallway was a small wooden door. She checked over her shoulder to makes sure no one else had followed behind her. When no one appeared, she turned the knob of the door and yanked it open.

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Luke slouched behind one of the hefty Enucach warriors on the back of their rat-beasts. They rode all through the night with no stops. The night was frigid and black. Luke could only tell that they were moving by the movement of the beast muscles below them and the heavy panting of the beasts beside him.

Luke worried about his wounded leg. If any sand was to get into the gash, it could easily become irritated and infected. It needed medical attention soon. However, he dared not mention the wound to the warriors. His lightsaber had been confiscated by the lead Enucach. It now hung harmlessly from the man's belt.

Pain shot up Luke's leg as the saddle bounced up and pulled at his pant leg. He grimaced and bit his lip. He breathed in and called on the force. He felt it flow through him and the pain eased slightly.

The beast stopped suddenly and Luke fell forward into the Enucach. The man pushed him back and mumbled a threat.

The sky suddenly lit up with a red flare. Luke saw a group of about twenty beasts with riders to either side of him.

"Formation!"

All warriors moved into a circular formation with Luke's rider at the center. Luke felt himself yanked from the beast and pushed underneath its furry belly. Another warrior joined him, blaster in hand.

"One squeak out of you and you're ratioone chow. Clear?" The man's voice was barely audible but gruff. "Chacune!" he hissed.

Luke nodded to show he heard.

Another flare was set off and this time Luke could see scurrying movements in the shadows around the Enucach. Several of the rat-beasts slipped from the circle and made their way slyly out towards the movement.

Gunfire erupted and the beasts charged their enemies. Several beasts were downed and their riders slipped off in one swift motion. They continued into the shadows and disappeared.

Moments later the warriors returned carrying extra blasters and armor. One approached the lead Enucach with a report.

"Just a minor threat, Sir. They were searching for the Jedi no doubt."

The leader gave a simple nod and motioned for the warriors to continue on. Luke was lifted up seemingly effortless and pushed onto the beast again.

They continued on into the night.

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ratooine: The rat-beasts of the Chacune.