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"Master Lowbacca, answer me!" Em Teedee said, his tinny voice echoing from the speaker-patch. "You can't simply leave me hanging here doing nothing at all, you know."

Lowbacca grunted a reply and kept moving.

"But surely, that's beside the point," Em Teedee quibbled, "since I'm doing everything I can. Just because I have no functional arms or legs doesn't mean I don't want to assist you."

The sounds of blaster fire from the clearing below had ceased, and Lowbacca feared that meant Jacen and Jaina were captured-or worse. His thoughts churned it in panic and turmoil. He knew he had to rescue them.

But how? He had never done anything like this before. He didn't think Tenel Ka could do it alone, so he had to offer whatever help he could manage.

The branches thinned up ahead, spreading out around the clearing where Lowbacca had settled the T-23. The small ship sat where he had landed it, and he scrambled back down the thick branches, clinging to vines until he reached ground level again. The T-23 was his best chance.

Lowbacca had been so proud of the small craft when his uncle Chewie had given it to him, but now it seemed so small and bat tered, all but useless against an armed Imperial pilot. He trudged across the weed-covered ground over to the little skyhopper. He would have to use it to make the rescue. He had no better options.

The low, simmering music of insects and jungle creatures filled the air.

He could hear no sound of blaster fire, no shouts of chal lenge or pain.

It was quiet. Too quiet. Lowbacca hurried.

"Oh, excellent idea!" Em Teedee said as they approached the T- 23. "We're going back to the Jedi academy to get reinforcements, aren't we. That's by far the wisest thing to do, I'm sure."

But Lowie knew it would be too late for the twins by then. He had to do something now. He told Em Teedee what he intended to do, and the miniature translating droid squawked in dismay.

"But, Master Lowbacca! The T-23 has no weapons. How can you fly it against that Imperial pilot? He is a professional fighter-and he's desperate!"

Lowie had the same fears as he powered up the T-23's repulsorlift engines. He made an optimistic comment to the translating droid.

"Tricks? What tricks do you have up your sleeve?" Em Teedee said.

"Besides, you don't even have sleeves."

The craft sounded strong and powerful, thrumming and roaring in the jungle stillness. Lowie smelled the acrid exhaust, and snuffled. His black pilot seat vibrated as the ship prepared to take off.

He would need to do some fancy flying to get the craft through the trees to the crash site-but he had to save his friends, offer whatever help he could. Perhaps his noisy approach would startle the TIE pilot enough to make him flee for cover. And then the twins could jump aboard and make their escape.

Lowbacca nudged the throttles forward and lifted the T-23 off its resting place in the trampled undergrowth. The ion afterburners roared as the small ship arrowed through the forest, dodging branches and hanging moss, heading toward his friends-directly into the path of danger.

Back in the clearing, Jacen and Jaina froze for only a moment, then turned and ran, trying to escape-but the bulk of the almost-repaired TIE

fighter got in their way. Jaina grabbed Jacen's arm, and the two of them ran together, frightened but knowing they needed to move, move.

The Imperial pilot fired his blaster, shooting twice into the thicket where Tenel Ka had vanished. Burning brush and splintered twigs flew into the air in a cloud. For an instant Jaina thought their young friend from Dathomir had been killed-but then she heard more leaves rustling and branches snapping as Tenel Ka continued her desperate flight.

The TIE pilot fired into the trees next, blasting the lower branches-but Lowbacca had gotten away. The twins ran around the end of the wrecked fighter, and suddenly Jacen stumbled over a rectangular box of hydrospanners, cyberfuses, and other tools they had gathered for the repair of the crashed ship-and fell headlong.

Jaina grabbed her