Shelf

She crossed her arms, then crossed her legs, too. “If they ever existed at all, there would be some sign of them, somewhere. Whole societies don’t just disappear into thin air.”

A light went on in Karr’s brain. He couldn’t believe he’d never thought of it before. “They do if they’re Tusken Raiders.”

“Tusken Raiders? What’s a Tusken Raider?”

“The guy who sold me that set of goggles over there”—he flapped his hand toward a shelf with a label that read Neuro-Saav TD-series electrobinoculars—“he told me a story. At some point in time, due to shifting winds and soil erosion, the Sand People of Tatooine needed to migrate to a different part of their home planet. So a small tribe of them set out to find a better place where they could establish a new colony and be joined by the others at a later time. The group traveled for months before finding a spot that worked for them. But the trip was so long and supplies were so low that a lot of the tribe got sick. With very little food left, the older members convinced the head of the pack to go back to their original homeland and return with food and other necessities. And so he did. He left behind thirty males, seventeen females, and nine children, including his wife and daughter, and promised to return the following harvest with more people and supplies. A whole season passed before he could return, but when he did, he found the settlement empty. No signs of anyone. His wife, his daughter, the entire tribe…gone.”

“Invaders?” asked Maize.

Karr shook his head. “No sign of any. Legend has it there was nothing left at all, except a drawing of a mysterious figure etched on a stone,” he said, making his voice sound spooky.


- Force Collector, Chapter 4