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She flew with a speed and conscious skill that.stopped just this side of recklessness.

Her eyes flashed bright, her movements were strong--and she seemed to be avoiding conversation.

Lowie felt a growing discomfort. He wanted to ask Raaba so many questions, find out why she had disappeared, why she hadn't communicated with him for so long.

Her loss and apparent death had been one of the saddest experiences in Lowie's life.

"Er, Master Lowbacca, if you would be so kind as to give me a bit more room.... "Em Teedee said. Lowie looked down at his waist to find that he was so hunched over in the cramped cockpit that the little droid had been smashed between his stomach and his thigh. Yet somehow Lowie hadn't noticed the discomfort. After he rearranged his lanky limbs to remedy the problem, the little droid sighed. "Ah, thank you, Master Lowbacca. That's much better. Now my systems aren't in danger of overheating."

Circling the broad crater, Raaba brought her skimmer in for a smart landing fifty meters from the Rock Dragon, and the young Jedi Knights gratefully climbed out, stretching their cramped muscles. In the aftermath of their ordeal with the combat arachnids, they all thanked her profusely.

Raaba, though, seemed indifferent to the gratitude of the humans.

Jacen and Jaina joked in relief after their near brush with death.

Lowie could see curiosity about Raaba on the twins' faces and sensed the questions that clamored to be asked. Tenel Ka's expression was less readable, but he could sense her interest as well.

Raabakyysh straightened her dusty red headband, pushed the ornamented armlets more firmly against her biceps, and gruffly asked if she could do anything else to help.

Jaina's brandy-brown eyes narrowed in a shrewd expression that Lowie knew well.

"Yes. Matter of fact, I really need to run a calibration check on the jump sequencer in our hyperdrive," she said, "Iql need Jacen and Tenel Ka to help A surprised-looking Jacen interrupted.

"But Lowie always helps you with--" Jaina nudged him none too gently with her elbow, and Jacen subsided into conspiratorial silence.

"Thing is," she continued, "we're here looking for someone, someone important, and I'm wondering if we overlooked any clues that might help.

It would really mean a lot to us if you and Lowie would do one more circuit of the crater rim--just to see if there's anything we missed. And maybe you could do a few flyovers of the crater while you're at it."

"Ah," Tenel Ka said, nodding. "Aha. An excellent plan."

Humans could be much more perceptive than aliens gave them credit for, Lowie reminded himself. He was pleased when Raaba instantly agreed to the arrangement.

She seemed happy to help in the search for Bornan Thul--or perhaps she just preferred to be away from the other young Jedi Knights. She made no objection to Lowie's accompanying her, though, and he hoped she wouldn't avoid.talking to him once they were alone.

Lowie knew from their past time together that Raaba was not one to stand around once a decision was made. With a few bounding leaps she was back at her skimmer, climbing inside as she tossed a glance behind her at Lowie. He trotted after her, and then settled himself in the Rising Star's copilot seat, a position that had begun to feel natural to him.

With a blast of repulsorjets that sent plumes of dust into the shimmering air, the Rising Star lifted off, and Lowie's spirits lifted with it.

Through the front viewport he could see Jaina toss him a lighthearted salute before Raaba banked the skimmer and took off in the opposite direction around the rim.

Finally sharing a moment of privacy with her, Lowie felt the growing impact of the good news: Raaba was alive! She had not been torn to pieces by Wild animals in the lower levels of Kashyyyk's jungle, or swallowed whole by a deadly syren plant.

But where had she been for so long? And why had she not tried to contact her friends or family to reassure them of her safety?

Lowie's sister