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Luke slowed the pace even further the closer they drew. He frowned a little, revealing that he was as puzzled as Ben. “Perhaps this is part of the challenge,” he murmured slightly.

And then one of the rocks near the ship moved.

It uncurled slowly, languidly, extending a long tail, two powerful lower limbs, two smaller forelegs, and a large head on a sinuous neck. It fixed them with large, dark, unblinking eyes as it curled its tail beneath it and sank back on its hind legs. Ben instinctively knew that the slow revelation of its presence was deliberate and for their benefit. This creature could probably transform from appearing to be a simple rock formation to a deadly threat in a heartbeat. Even now that it was not curled up but rather sitting, it still blended in with its environment.

It was much more imposing than the holographic image Ben had studied. Something about its plating and its stillness was unsettling. Ben glanced at his father.

Luke bowed politely and Ben followed suit. “I am Jedi Luke Skywalker. This is my son, Ben. Thank you for being willing to meet with us. We have come as requested to accept your challenge.”

Ben and Luke waited. The being did not move. Ben took in the geometric designs on certain pieces of the jointed plating that covered its body. He recognized a few of them as being the same as some of those he had seen on the Sanhedrim ship. This close to the creature, he could see now that the patterns were not simply painted on but were etched into the Aing-Tii’s shell and then stained. Ben wondered if it had hurt, or if, as it appeared, the plating was more like armor or some kind of exoskeleton than like skin.

“I don’t think he understands Basic, Dad,” Ben said quietly after a few minutes.

“Doesn’t look like it, no.”

Ben glanced at the vessel. “They seem to be highly advanced technologically. And we know that they’ve been able to communicate with humans before. So why is he not making use of his equipment? How’s he supposed to tell us what our challenge is?”

Luke smiled slightly. “Because I’m willing to bet that our challenge is to figure out a way to communicate with him without the use of technology. Which is going to be a fine challenge indeed, as the Aing-Tii communicate among themselves by tasting, smelling, and touching one another with their tongues,” he added.

As if it had heard and completely understood everything that had been said, the stone-still creature suddenly opened its mouth. Six thin, bright green tendrils shot out and flickered about wildly.

“Oh gross,” said Ben.

Then he wondered if the Aing-Tii actually had been able to understand everything they had said, and he blushed a little.

The Aing-Tii withdrew its glistening green tongues and was as still as if it had never moved at all.

“How are we supposed to learn that kind of language?” Ben asked, his voice slightly sharp. He would have died before admitting it, but the sudden movement of the previously motionless being—particularly when that movement involved green tongues—had startled him.

“We don’t,” Luke said quietly. His gaze was locked with the dark, shiny, fist-sized orbs of the Aing-Tii. “We don’t learn his language, and he doesn’t learn ours.”

“But we have to communi—” Ben blinked. “Wait a minute. How do you know it’s a he?”

“The same way I intend to communicate with him,” Luke replied. His voice was softer, slightly deeper, and although he was still regarding the Aing-Tii, Ben realized that his father wasn’t really seeing the being. Luke took several steps forward, closing the space between himself and the Aing-Tii, and then eased himself to the rocky ground to sit facing it. Him.

And then Ben got it.

Without another word, he followed his father’s example, moving to sit cross-legged beside Luke, turning his face up—for even seated, the Aing-Tii was taller than they—to the alien. He let his gaze soften but did not close his eyes, and slowed his breathing despite the thinness of the