Marcus?” he asked. “I’ve been considering that since back in the jungle. You’re no hyperspace scout, that’s for sure. And you can use that
sorcerer’s weapon better than you let on.”
Luke took a step backward, raising his lightsaber. The remotes rushed forward, thinking he meant to resume the exercise. Luke slipped on a loose flagstone, nearly falling to his knees. He looked
from the flagstone to Sarco in sudden realization.
“The Force wasn’t warning me about the stormtroopers,” he said. “It was warning me about
you
.”
“Oh no,” Threepio moaned.
“The Force,”Sarco said. “So you’re a Jedi, then? I don’t think so. I remember them from when I was small—you don’t have their skills. So what are you?
What was the word the sorcerers used, before the Empire came for them?
Padawan
—that was it. So that’s what you are—a learner. An apprentice. But what good’s an
apprentice without a master?”
Sarco skirted the edge of a pit, walking toward Luke like hehad all the time in the world. Luke found his feet assuming ready position, noting with relief that the remotes had finally concluded
something other than a training exercise was taking place.
“Nobody’s Padawan, the last apprentice of an extinct religion,” Sarco said. “Care for a duel?”
Luke felt his anger rising. Sarco had proposed the one thing he wanted most—a chance to show off hisnew skills and show the arrogant alien what a mistake he’d made.
He exhaled slowly, lightsaber held at his waist, as Sarco spun his staff in a blur of deadly purple.
“I should thank you, Nobody’s Padawan,” he said. “I’ve been looking for a way into this place for years—and now you’ve been good enough to find one for
me.”
“And now you know there’s nothing left here for you to steal.”
Sarco’s vocoder erupted in amused static.
“That’s where you’re wrong, Nobody’s Padawan. The Empire bombed the temple, but the vaults and storerooms below are intact. I’ve got debts to pay, and what’s
beneath our feet will take care of that and more. Pity you won’t get to see the wealth your precious sorcerers left behind.”
“The Jedi didn’t stockpile wealth like that,” Luke said. “Theonly treasures here are what’s around you.”
Sarco turned his chitinous mask to take in the broken statues and uprooted flagstones, then returned his scrutiny to Luke.
“Do you know what I’m going to do after I defeat you, Nobody’s Padawan?” he asked. “First I’ll sell whatever’s left of you to the governor. Then
I’ll sell your fighter and melt those droids into scrap. As for your saber,it will fetch good credits from some collector. Or perhaps I’ll keep it as one of my trophies.”
“None of those things is going to happen,” Luke said, and leapt forward, lightsaber held over his head.
S ARCO FELL BACK, and Luke’s vicious downward cut bit into the flagstones, sending up sparks. The alien held his staff up to parry as Luke
stalked him.
“You don’t know the first thing about Jedi,” Luke said. “Starting with their weapons.”
Sarco raised his staff, and Luke brought the saber down, expecting the ancient weapon to cleave the Scavenger’s staff in two. But the saber metresistance as Sarco’s staff caught the
blade and held it, sending a shock up Luke’s arms. Sarco gave way, and Luke stumbled forward. Then the alien kicked the young rebel in the face, sending him sprawling.
“You ruffian!” yelled Threepio.
“This is an electrostaff, Nobody’s Padawan,” Sarco said as Luke struggled to his feet, spitting out blood. “A useful tool—and one designed to killJedi.”
Farnay looked around the courtyard in desperation. Luke hoped she wouldn’t try anything foolish—the Scavenger would kill her with barely a thought.
Sarco leapt forward, the electrostaff whining with what sounded like a terrible glee. Luke got his lightsaber up and knocked the weapon aside, but Sarco followed
sorcerer’s weapon better than you let on.”
Luke took a step backward, raising his lightsaber. The remotes rushed forward, thinking he meant to resume the exercise. Luke slipped on a loose flagstone, nearly falling to his knees. He looked
from the flagstone to Sarco in sudden realization.
“The Force wasn’t warning me about the stormtroopers,” he said. “It was warning me about
you
.”
“Oh no,” Threepio moaned.
“The Force,”Sarco said. “So you’re a Jedi, then? I don’t think so. I remember them from when I was small—you don’t have their skills. So what are you?
What was the word the sorcerers used, before the Empire came for them?
Padawan
—that was it. So that’s what you are—a learner. An apprentice. But what good’s an
apprentice without a master?”
Sarco skirted the edge of a pit, walking toward Luke like hehad all the time in the world. Luke found his feet assuming ready position, noting with relief that the remotes had finally concluded
something other than a training exercise was taking place.
“Nobody’s Padawan, the last apprentice of an extinct religion,” Sarco said. “Care for a duel?”
Luke felt his anger rising. Sarco had proposed the one thing he wanted most—a chance to show off hisnew skills and show the arrogant alien what a mistake he’d made.
He exhaled slowly, lightsaber held at his waist, as Sarco spun his staff in a blur of deadly purple.
“I should thank you, Nobody’s Padawan,” he said. “I’ve been looking for a way into this place for years—and now you’ve been good enough to find one for
me.”
“And now you know there’s nothing left here for you to steal.”
Sarco’s vocoder erupted in amused static.
“That’s where you’re wrong, Nobody’s Padawan. The Empire bombed the temple, but the vaults and storerooms below are intact. I’ve got debts to pay, and what’s
beneath our feet will take care of that and more. Pity you won’t get to see the wealth your precious sorcerers left behind.”
“The Jedi didn’t stockpile wealth like that,” Luke said. “Theonly treasures here are what’s around you.”
Sarco turned his chitinous mask to take in the broken statues and uprooted flagstones, then returned his scrutiny to Luke.
“Do you know what I’m going to do after I defeat you, Nobody’s Padawan?” he asked. “First I’ll sell whatever’s left of you to the governor. Then
I’ll sell your fighter and melt those droids into scrap. As for your saber,it will fetch good credits from some collector. Or perhaps I’ll keep it as one of my trophies.”
“None of those things is going to happen,” Luke said, and leapt forward, lightsaber held over his head.
S ARCO FELL BACK, and Luke’s vicious downward cut bit into the flagstones, sending up sparks. The alien held his staff up to parry as Luke
stalked him.
“You don’t know the first thing about Jedi,” Luke said. “Starting with their weapons.”
Sarco raised his staff, and Luke brought the saber down, expecting the ancient weapon to cleave the Scavenger’s staff in two. But the saber metresistance as Sarco’s staff caught the
blade and held it, sending a shock up Luke’s arms. Sarco gave way, and Luke stumbled forward. Then the alien kicked the young rebel in the face, sending him sprawling.
“You ruffian!” yelled Threepio.
“This is an electrostaff, Nobody’s Padawan,” Sarco said as Luke struggled to his feet, spitting out blood. “A useful tool—and one designed to killJedi.”
Farnay looked around the courtyard in desperation. Luke hoped she wouldn’t try anything foolish—the Scavenger would kill her with barely a thought.
Sarco leapt forward, the electrostaff whining with what sounded like a terrible glee. Luke got his lightsaber up and knocked the weapon aside, but Sarco followed
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