“Is that…?” I ventured.
“Yes,” Veebee confirmed, “I believe that is our ship leaving.”
The thrusters lit and propelled the starship into the sky, through the clouds, going, going—
“No,” I whispered, pressing the button on my communicator again. “Kotti! Anyone! I’m not on the ship!Hello!”
The ship rose higher in the sky, barely a pinprick, almost nothing at all.
“Starfarer!” I called. “You’re missing—”
One moment the ship was there, and then its light streaked across the sky…and it was gone.
“—me.”
TheStarfarerhad left.
It had actually left.
And I was still on Tatooine.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
The Mistake
Sian came up beside me, accompanied by VB-35 and N2-0, as if together they could ferry me through what was quickly becoming a nervous breakdown. The astromech beeped a word of encouragement, but Sian sighed and shifted his weight from one foot to the other. “I think you’re stranded, buddy.”
Stranded.
A strange tightness constricted my chest. I’d never been this far from the ship before. I’d never been this far from home—
With no way back.
“I’m sure someone can help us out,” he went on, rubbing the back of his neck, not quite convinced himself. “I don’t know anyone, but if we ask around…”
I didn’t need help. What I needed was a time machine. What I needed was some way to go back a few hours so I could comm my dad and tell him about the droids. If I’d done that—told him about the Jawas—then thingswould’ve turned out differently, I was sure. I just…I’d thought I could handle it. It had been my mess to begin with.
And now the ship was gone.Withoutme.
“Well, at least Captain Quayhasto come back,” VB-35 said, “to pick up the lander—”
“Starstall!” I cried, jumping to my feet. “We can useStarstallto contact the ship!”
Veebee shook her head. “Did you forget that’s why it’s in the shop? The long-range communicator is malfunctioning again.”
My shoulders drooped. “Oh. Right. Dad will know we’re missing and come back soon. He can’t ignore that we’reallmissing, right?”
Waiting here was the right answer. If I just stayed where I was last seen, then they’d come back to find me. But how had he left in the first place without knowing we weren’t on the ship? Then again, the droids never left the ship, and Dad probably trusted that I wouldn’t leave, either.
It was a perfect series of unfortunate events.
But that had me thinking…I turned back to the droids. “How did you get caught by those Jawas anyway?”
The droids exchanged looks. Then Entoo beeped.
“Sadly,” Veebee agreed, and heaved a sigh. “And here I thought we were worth more. Apparently not.”
I couldn’t believe it. “No, Val wouldn’t do that.”
