Spring Breeze

Moving cautiously forward and keeping his rifle ready, he led Threepio towardthe crest of a nearby high dune. At the same time he took care not to let Artoo out ofhis sight. Once at the top he lay flat and traded his rifle for the macrobinoculars. Below,another canyon spread out before them, rising to a wind-weathered wall of rust andocher. Advancing the binocs slowly across the canyon floor, he settled unexpectedlyon two tethered shapes. Banthas—and riderless! "Did you say something, sir?" wheezed Threepio, struggling up behind Luke.His locomotors were not designed for such outer climbing and scrambling. "Banthas, all right," Luke whispered over his shoulder, not considering in theexcitement of the moment that Threepio might not know a Bantha from a panda. He looked back into the eyepieces, refocusing slightly. "Wait…it's sandpeople,sure. I see one of them." Something dark suddenly blocked his sight. For a moment he thought that arock might have moved in front of them. Irritably he dropped the binoculars andreached out to move the blinding object aside. His hand touched something like softmetal. It was a bandaged leg about as big around as both of Luke's together. Shocked,he looked up…and up. The towering figure glaring down at him was no jawa. Ithad seemingly erupted straight from the sand.