Page 113 - Star Wars Insider (Special Edition 2019)

THE
GORACH
LAUGHED NOW,
AND IT WAS A
POWERFUL, HOOTING
LAUGH. THE HUTT
COULD HEAR IN THE
LAUGH ECHOES OF
ITS BLOODY PAST, OF
ITS GORE-SOAKED,
PETTY EMPIRE.

“And so you, your brother, and Ama are more precious to the norango field to join their mother. Ama was standing in front

me than anything else.” He crouched and picked up a handful of the house, hands in fists on her hips, tall, strong, and unyielding

of soil before crumbling it between his fingers. “Without family, as always.

we are just dirt blowing uselessly in the wind.” Then he took “Come, Ju-ju.” Lauren picked up her little brother and gently
Lauren’s smaller hand in his and guided it to the base of a norango pried the black soil from his clenched fingers before he could

bush. “Family is the root that gives the soil purpose and holds it in shove the dirt in his mouth. “That is not for eating!”
place. We are nothing without our families.” Bending over, she set Ju-ju on her back and pulled his carrying
He placed both hands on her shoulders. “Someday you wrap tight around her body, just as she’d always seen her parents
will have your own family to take care of, little Lau—” do. Straightening, she could now see the landspeeder—fl ashy and
“—and I will have to make sure they are pruned and tended yellow—pull up in front of her parents. All the farmhands had
to. I know, Ada.” Lauren forced herself not to roll her eyes gathered around it, too. Three guards climbed out of the transport,
as she finished her father’s proverb. carrying big blasters. Lauren frowned—that green-skinned

The whine of a fancy-sounding landspeeder cut off her Falleen, Annaz, was the only person who ever came to the farm
father’s response, and Lauren followed his gaze down the with hired guns.
dirt road that led to their farm. Even from this distance she
could see the dust plume it kicked up. Captain Evon watched as Brand’s full lips compressed into a thin
“Lau, take your brother and go to your bisáma’s house.” line. “Annaz and her henchmen killed your parents, and all their
“But, Ada—” workers, after your mother refused to pay a protection fee to the
“Now, Lau!” Malandro syndicate. You managed to get out with your baby brother,
Without sparing her or Ju-ju a second glance, he ran across and lived with your gran for a few years, until a fever took her.”

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