A dream is just the beginning...

Part 21

The probe, picked up speed. For most of the flight, it tried not to deviate from its course. It had only one goal. To reach a system on the outskirts and to land on a planet. Such probes were now gliding across the galaxy by the dozens if not hundreds. Each programmed for a specific purpose. The Empire did not disguise its means. Ever since the Dark Lord lost the battle for Yavin 4 three years ago, it has not stopped searching.

Specially designed courts combed all systems to find what he was looking for. In fact, the last few months have been very intense. Knowing that there were no results so far. The search for the young Jedi adept and the rebel base constantly aroused strong feelings of anger and helplessness.

Vader himself, immersed in a desire for revenge for the destruction of the Empire's best weapon, raged with rage to nip in the bud this entire rebel pack. Now his probe was cutting through space to spy and detect. It was slowly moving toward the planet. The farthest away from the center, which even some maps did not include. As soon as it was near the small planet it accelerated to enter its atmosphere.

Cutting through dense clouds, sensors designed to land safely turned on automatic mode. And the planet's atmosphere and attraction did their job. The probe fell hard into a sizable heap of snow. Knocking upward the snow fluff like dust. When it fell, a robot emerged from behind the edge of a small hill, covered with snow. For a moment it froze in the air to extend its special moving legs. Then from its insect-like head emerged two rather large antennas. The droid scanned, again and again making strange sounds, resembling some unknown code. While doing so, it rotated its head 360 degrees to thoroughly scour the area. Suddenly its sensors strongly sensed heat. He soared toward it, burying his antennae inside.

*

Mona was returning from the medical center, just before lunch. Her eyes were weeping, and her mind was fighting the gloom that was engulfing her. For now, she had no desire to meet with anyone. She had to recover on her own. She tried to fight her emotions. But she couldn't. She turned off the communicator as soon as she was in her room.

She slumped heavily on the bed and tried to fight, with sobs, tears running down through the closed corners of her eyes and the doctor's words still rumbling in her head. Even the office, she tried to control her emotions. Her life stood before her eyes. Just now, when she began to be happy, all hope was taken away from her. The whole world she had come to love, her life, her goals, her dreams. They crumbled into a tiny poppy.

- I want to live...- she thought - ...why now, when happiness smiled at me - she wiped her wet cheek .- Why?

She had a wonderful boyfriend and a loving brother, and it seemed to her that nothing could happen anymore. But a conversation with the doctor stripped her of her illusions. She was unable to inquire about anything. Not even here where exactly is the tumor, the size of a walnut .

The specialist called it a meningioma, and wasn't sure if it was malignant or not. A biopsy had not yet been performed. He only mentioned that the numbness, dizziness and migraine pain that had recently paralyzed her were due to this abnormality. Mona, however, did not listen to the doctor fully. she was alone, and this resulted in her not learning about the options the doctor had to offer her as to her treatment.

The last thing she remembered was the suggestion that she tell her loved ones about it . But as soon as she thought about it, the more terrified she became. The confusion in her head grew as conflicting thoughts bombarded her. She would have been lighter if there had been an option to cut off her thoughts, but she realized that was unrealistic. She got rid of her shoes, which had fallen heavily to the floor, and curled up her legs. She began to sob into her pillow out of helplessness. She didn't even know how long it took she fell asleep exhausted with sadness.

*

Luke had just traversed the ice desert. He had been sitting on his Tauntaun, watching the horizon for hours after leaving the base. He could feel that fatigue was already getting to him. Because of the meteor shower around the planet itself, there were frequent collisions with the planet, small objects. And one had just fallen close to him. He reached for the electro-binoculars to take a closer look.

But he saw only snow and smoke rising above the heaps. A light wind blew. And that made him, he gasped for warmth and was tempted to turn back to the base. And suddenly, another object appeared over the horizon, rushing quickly to finally crash, leaving a cloud of smoke.

His tauntaun scratched nervously at the snow. He became restless, although Luke patted him affectionately on the head and tried to calm him down. After a moment, he picked up his communicator wrist and tapped the appropriate code.

- Echo 3 to Echo seven, Han can you hear me.

A friend's voice could be heard from the receiver.

- Is it you , what is the point?

- I closed my circle and did not detect any life forms. I also set the sensors. A meteorite fell nearby, so still want to check it out. It shouldn't take long.

- Ok. Hurry up," one could hear the concern in his voice.

- Han. Did Mona contact you today?- he quipped further

- No , today before the patrol I did not see her.

Luke was a little worried. He had tried repeatedly to contact her through the communicator, but the girl had apparently turned it off. She never did. But he decided that as soon as he returned to the base, he would invite her to the cantina.

- Well... then I'll see you soon. - he turned off the communicator. Tautan stood very anxiously. He stepped from foot to foot and made a sound.

- What is it, my friend?" he tried again to calm him down- You feel something. There is nothing here.

Suddenly, a large hairy paw, a snow beast attacked, knocking him off his saddle. He didn't even have time to reach for his blaster, and was already lying knocked down and sore from the powerful blow. His tauntaun wailed in pain as the beast smothered the animal with another blow. Luke lost consciousness. And an ominous silence hung over the ice desert.