DISCLAIMER: Star Wars and all publicly recognisable characters, names and references, etc are the sole property of George Lucas, Lucasfilm Ltd, Lucasarts Inc and 20th Century Fox. This fan fiction was created solely for entertainment purposes and no money was made from it. Also, no copyright or trademark infringement was intended. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author. Any other characters, the storyline and the actual story are the property of the author. Not to be archived without permission of the author(s).
The smooth gold of the Dune Sea was broken only the mountainous stone spikes, weathered down through the hundreds of years they had been there. A few leathery krayt dragons prowled on the ground below, growling to themselves as the young human rattled around inside his hopper...
On the ridge of the long, twisting rock track, a tall bearded man was watching the Skywalker boy. He smiled a little at the familiar tang of the sight—a young blond man, wearing somewhat stained white clothing, tinkering with a racer. The hopper was radically different from a podracer, but the look of intentness on his tanned face was the same.
He looked so much like his father... older, of course, but he was clearly enjoying tinkering with it. And Qui-Gon had been watching him for a long time—Luke enjoyed the adrenaline rush of speed and split-second maneuvars. But today...
Qui-Gon tensed in preparation of what would come next.
"OW!" Metal slashed his fingertip with a rasp. Luke sprang back, putting his finger in his mouth and uttering a few words that his uncle would shout at him for. "Ow," he murmured again, around his finger.
He turned his attention back to the large, clunky-looking hopper and snapped the engine cover into place. He took a deep breath and pulled a dented helmet over his head, then slipped into the cramped cockpit.
Okay, focus. You've never made it around Krayt's Ridge before, and today will be the first time.
As his fingers switched on the power, the engines whined in protest, then fired up to full. Luke felt a thrill run down his spine as the hopper shot forward, the rocky ledges and paths twisting beneath him. He distantly heard himself give a whoop of delight.
SKREEEEEE...
Luke sucked in his breath as sparks flew from the wing of the hopper. For a brief moment, he thought that something had come loose... but as shards of rock flicked past his nose, he realized that his course had shaved him too close to the canyon wall. His hands gripped the controls as he tried to steer away, pulse pounding like an angry drum.
Ease her away... ease her...
The hopper pulled away from the wall, but Luke saw a bright red, burning trail leaking from somewhere in the wing, and smelled fuel in the air. Either he could die in a ball of flame or bail out on the edge of a canyon...
Not much of a choice.
He leaped out of the cockpit, wrenching off the seat restraints with one hand. For a moment, he was airborne, a detached corner of his mild noting the hopper exploding not far off. Then he was dangling on the edge of the cliff by bloodied fingertips, the triumphant cry of a krayt dragon rising to him.
"Help!" he shouted desperately, looking at the giant drop below him, as his hands slipped further. "Help me!"
A hand locked over his, and Luke looked up into the rugged face of a very, very tall human. He had a small, neat beard and long brown hair, and penetrating blue eyes that seemed to mist over a little. Luke grasped his wrist as the man reached down and grabbed the back of his shirt, hauling him over the edge.
For a moment, Luke just lay on the sand and gasped, eyes closed. When he opened them, he saw that the man was smiling at him in a fatherly sort of way. "Are you all right?" he asked in a deep voice.
"Yes," Luke said breathlessly, shoving himself onto his elbows. "Thank you..."
The man nodded and rose from his kneeling position, extending his hand to Luke. "These courses can be treacherous, Luke. You should be more careful." He paused. "My name is Qui-Gon Jinn."
"I guess you already know my name," Luke said, taking the hand and pulling himself up. He winced a little at the thought of the hopper. "My uncle's going to kill me."
Qui-Gon shook his head with another distant, enigmatic smile. "He's not going to kill you, Luke—I'd say he'll just be glad that you're in one piece. That was a fine piece of piloting back there."
"Thanks," Luke replied modestly.
Qui-Gon crossed his arms and began to walk off. Luke glanced over the edge of the cliff at the squat blots of the krayt dragons, then after his rescuer. But there was no one there. Luke looked around himself, at the rocks, ledges and caves around him. Nothing large enough to contain a big man like Qui-Gon... and no one could move fast enough to vanish like that.
For a moment, Luke just thought over what could have happened. Then he slowly began the long trek back to Uncle Owen's farm.
He had the feeling that, somehow, he would see Jinn again...