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CAME ON DECK TO FIND THE GHOST heading up close on the port tack and cutting in to windward of a familiar sprit-sail close-hauled on the same tack ahead of us. All hands were on deck, for they knew that something was to happen when Leach and Johnson were dragged aboard. ¡¡¡¡It was four bells. Louis came aft to relieve the wheel. There was a dampness in the air, and I noticed he had on his oilskins. ¡¡¡¡'What are we going to have?' I asked him. ¡¡¡¡'A healthy young slip of a gale from the breath of it, sir,' he answered, 'with a splatter of rain just to wet our gills an' no more.' ¡¡¡¡'Too bad we sighted them,' I said, as the Ghost's bow was flung off a point by a large sea, and the boat leaped for a moment past the jibs and into our line of vision. ¡¡¡¡Louis turned a spoke of the wheel and temporized. ¡¡¡¡'They'd never of made the land, sir, I'm thinkin'.'

Boulevard des Capucines

"All right!" Luke responded, sidestepping the question. "I'll be down in a fewminutes, Uncle Owen!" Turning, he took one last look at the vanished horizon."Boy, am I in for it!" he muttered. "That little 'droid's going to get me in a lot oftrouble." "Oh, he excells at that, sir." Threepio confirmed with mock cheerfulness. Lukethrew him a sour look, and together they turned and descended into the garage. "Luke…Luke!" Still rubbing the morning sleep from his eyes, Owen glancedfrom side to side, loosening his neck muscles. "Where could that boy be loafingnow?" he wondered aloud at the lack of response. There was no sign of movementin the homestead, and he had already checked above. "Luke!" he yelled again. Luke, luke, luke…the name echoed teasing back athim from the homestead walls. Turning angrily, he stalked back into the kitchen,where Beru was preparing breakfast. "Have you seen Luke this morning?" he asked as softly as he could manage. She glance briefly at him, then returned to her cooking. "Yes. He said he hadsome things to do before he started out to the south ridge this morning, so he leftearly." "Before breakfast?" Owen frowned worriedly. "That's not like him. Did hetake the new 'droids with him?" "I think so. I am sure I saw at least one of them with him."

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A cluster of tired-looking troops marched purposefully up to their Commanderand the Dark Lord. Vader eyed them expectantly. "The data tapes in question are not aboard the ship. There is no valuableinformation in the ship's storage banks and no evidence of bank erasure," the officerin charge recited mechanically. "Nor were any transmissions directed outward fromthe ship from the time we made contact. A malfunctioning lifeboat pod was ejectedduring the fighting, but it was confirmed at the time that no life forms were on board." Vader appeared thoughtful. "It could have been a malfunctioning pod," hemused, "That might also have contained the tapes. Tapes are not life forms. In allprobability any native finding them would be ignorant of their importance and wouldlikely clear them for his own use. Still…" "Send down a detachment to retrieve them, or to make certain they are not in thepod," he finally ordered the Commander and attentive officer. "Be as subtle aspossible; there is no need to attract attention, even on this miserable outpost world." As the officer and troops departed, Vader turned his gaze back to the Commander."Vaporize this fighter—we don't want to leave anything. As for the pod, I cannottake the chance it was a simple malfunction. The data it might contain could provetoo damaging. See to this personally, Commander. If those data tapes exist, theymust be retrieved or destroyed at all costs." Then he added with satisfaction, "Withthat accomplished and the Senator in our hands, we will see the end of this absurdrebellion." "It shall be as you direct, Lord Vader," the Commander acknowledged. Bothmen entered the accessway to the cruiser.