Star Wars_ Splinter of the Mind's Eye - Alan Dean Foster [61]
Moving carefully to the rear of the pad, Luke balanced himself on a knee and a leg—the activated saber held tightly in his right hand.
The bubbles stopped, were not immediately resumed.
“Maybe … maybe it’s gone away,” the Princess murmured tightly.
“Maybe,” Luke half-conceded.
It rose.
A pale amorphous form, shining with phosphorescence, in color it was not unlike the great wandrella. But compared to the lake-spirit the worm-thing was a familiar creature.
There was no face, nothing recognizable in that constantly altering form. It lifted short, thick pseudopods of a whitish substance clear of the surface. They gleamed brightly in the dim cavern light. Luke thought he could see partway through the creature, and strange shapes swirling about it internally.
One pulsing white arm flailed at the fragile craft. Luke swung at it with his saber. The blue beam passed completely through the glowing matter. While the saber produced no visible damage, the action caused the amoeba-shape to reabsorb the limb.
Another curling tentacle swiped at Luke and this time he stabbed at it. The beam shot straight through the arm. There was no hint of blood or internal fluids of any kind. Only the lapping of water against the spongy, rocking pad and Luke’s grunts as he fought frantically sounded in the chamber. For the most part the battle proceeded in hellish silence.
Each time the creature thrust at them, Luke would parry the strike with the saber. Each time the limb would shrink back into the heaving, glowing body without suffering any visible damage.
A sweeping limb caught Luke from behind as he was cutting at another pseudopod. It swept him over the side as the Princess screamed. Somehow he kept a hand on the upcurled rim of the pad-boat. His weight caused it to tilt slightly toward him, but fortunately it was far too naturally buoyant to capsize.
Leia wrestled him halfway back aboard. Then something caught him from below and yanked him beneath the surface. The Princess barely let go in time to keep from being dragged over herself.
Anxious moments passed with no sign of Luke. Then he broke the surface not far off, sputtering and spitting. Flaring brilliantly beneath the water, his saber swung and hacked at something unseen. It let loose long enough for him to crawl back onto the pad. The saber arced dangerously near the Princess and his own legs as he cut at clinging pale limbs. He kept cutting until the last grasping pseudopod slunk out of sight.
Dripping wet and still choking on water, he knelt on the pad and tried to look every which way at once.
“Look!” Leia exclaimed. Luke saw the line of bubbles in the water, only now they were moving away from the pad-boat. Their steady pop-plop sounded for several minutes after the bubbles themselves had vanished from sight.
Exhausted, he fell onto his back and stared at the pincushion ceiling.
“You did it, Luke. You beat it off.”
“I’m not so sure,” he panted, feeling anything but victorious. “Maybe the thing just got tired and went away.” He studied the switched-off lightsaber in his fist. “Or maybe it decided a saber beam’s not very palatable.” He reattached it to his belt, sat up with a groan and locked his arms about his knees. Water dripped from his hair down in front of his face.
Leia moved closer, reached out uncertainly to touch his arm. He eyed her, then coughed. She sat back. Suddenly she began screaming. Luke looked around but there was nothing in sight.
Bending over, the Princess screamed into clasped hands. The muffled wail continued for several minutes. When it ended, she looked back up at him without apology.
“I’m all right now, I think,” she said with forced steadiness. She took a deep breath. “I just think … I’m ready to leave this place, Luke.” Her voice rose slightly. “I’m ready to get out.”
“Believe me, Leia,” he replied, taking her hand in his, “I’m in just as big a hurry as you.”
They exchanged wordless thoughts. Then each picked up a paddle