Journey to Star Wars: The Force Awakens the Weapon of a Jedi: A Luke Skywalker Adventure by Jason Fry Read Free Book Online Page A

don’tlike it,” Luke said, patting the droid’s side. “I don’t like it, either. We’ll get you down from there as soon as possible.”
    As Sarco secured a pair of hunting rifles to the lead happabore’s howdah, Farnay came charging around the corner of the depot. She stopped short, mouth a shocked O, and then balled her
hands into fists.
    “Uh-oh,” Luke said.
    “So it’s true, then,” she said. “Ididn’t want to believe it! You’re actually going into the woods with the Scavenger!”
    “You know I don’t like that name,” Sarco growled. “Or kids telling tales.”
    “Tales about what?” Farnay asked. “Your customers who don’t come back?”
    She turned to Luke, eyes pleading.
    “He’s a wicked creature—don’t go with him! I’m begging you!”
    “Perhaps it would be better if Artoo and I stayedhere and supervised repairs,” Threepio said.
    Luke put his hands on Farnay’s shoulders.
    “I’ll be careful,” he said quietly. “Remember, I’ve got a trick or two up my sleeve.”
    “So does he,” Farnay said. Tears started in her eyes and she wiped at them. Then she ran off.
    “Time to go, Marcus,” Sarco said, stepping on a stubby horn behind the happabore’s eye and swinging himself up ontothe howdah’s forward seat.
    Luke looked sadly in the direction Farnay had gone, then put his hands uncertainly on the happabore’s shoulder. The gray flesh was thick and tough, but warm to the touch. Bracing himself,
he clambered up onto the howdah’s rear seat, his jacket flapping open as the structure swayed beneath them.
    “I have a bad feeling about this,” Threepio said as Sarco jabbeda prod into the side of the happabore’s head and the huge beasts picked their way down the narrow path that led
past the massive spire looming over Tikaroo and into the jungle.

    It took a few minutes for Luke to get used to the jolting gait of the happabores and take a real look at the Devaronian jungle surrounding them. It was cool beneath the towering
trees, with bird cries punctuatingthe rising and falling thrum of insects calling to one another. The happabores clambered over tangles of massive tree roots, their tiny eyes peering out at the
trail ahead.
    Artoo offered a quiet beep from his place atop the rear happabore.
    “Peaceful?” Threepio snapped. “You’re obviously malfunctioning. I expect that any moment we’ll be stomped to bits. Or bitten in two by some monstrouspredator.”
    “Or turned to scrap by a swarm of metal-eating bugs,” Luke said with a grin. “Don’t forget that one.”
    Sarco turned to regard the protocol droid. The chitinous plates of his head reminded Luke unsettlingly of overgrown toenails.
    “Or blown to bits because you won’t shut up,” he said.
    “Oh dear,” Threepio said in a small voice.
    “He’s just kidding, Threepio,” Luke said,then sensed something nearby. He peered into the jungle, trying to make sense of the rippling patterns of color and shade.
    “Wait,” he said, putting his hand on Sarco’s shoulder. The alien shook it off, but tapped his mount with his prod. The happabore halted, its pinkish snout quivering, and gave a
low moan that sounded like it was in pain.
    “What is it, Marcus?” Sarco asked.
    “I’mnot sure.…It was a feeling I had.”
    Luke exhaled, trying to reach out not just with his senses, but also with his feelings.
    “There,” he said, pointing deeper into the jungle.
    Through a stand of trees he saw four gray shapes, dappled in shadow. One moved slightly, and the shapes resolved themselves into sturdy legs, broad backs, and stubby heads crowned with curling
horns.
    Theyweren’t happabores but rather the creatures Luke had seen in his vision. They’d stood nearby while he faced the three remotes with his lightsaber.
    “Pikhrons,” Sarco grunted. “You have keen senses for an outlander.”
    He handed one of the long-barreled blaster rifles to Luke, then raised his own bulky weapon.
    “No,” Luke said,