Chapter 2

Master Plo Koon switched the flight controls over to Obi-Wan before taking the datapad from his hand, looking it over for a few seconds before saying all that was included in the entry, "Well, just as you said Master Kenobi, we are heading towards Unghr, a planet in the Honoghr system. The native species is unknown, as well as the climate and hours in one rotation." Setting the datapad down, Plo Koon glanced out through the windshield at the rapidly approaching ground. Turning around in his seat, he checked to make sure Anakin was belted into his seat before turning to R2D2 and speaking, "Make sure to magnetize your feet, R2. We're going to need you in one piece to get us back off this rock." Listening to the astromech's affirming whistles, he turned his attention back to the planet's surface and began focusing on what details he could pick out from the vast desert that was greeting them with open arms.

Seeing a patch of brush gathered together, he turned to Obi-Wan and spoke quickly, "Try to guide the ship there, I will do what I can with the Force." Seeing Obi-Wan nod with a grimace as he pulled back with all the force he could muster, relying on the manual mechanics of the ship now that the power was no longer there to assist his turning. Turning his attention back to what seemed to be an oasis, he reached out with the Force and dug himself into the sand where he planned to land the ship. Focusing on landing the ship there, he stretched out his hands towards it with his palms down before clenching his fists and turning them palm up. Drawing his hands in to his chest, he felt the ship begin to turn with more purpose as he combined his ministrations with those of Obi-Wan. Releasing his hold on the sand, he turned to Obi-Wan and nodded before leaning down against the dashboard and preparing for the impact.

Keeping his hands on the controls for a few more seconds to insure the ship followed the path it did, Obi-Wan copied Plo Koon's position and glanced back under his elbow. Seeing Anakin sitting in his chair curled up in a ball, he felt a moment of panic before seeing the strap across the boy's waist. Breathing out slowly and easier, Obi-Wan tucked his head under his forearms and dove into a light meditation to calm his heart during the intentional crash to avoid any injuries caused by reflexive stiffening of his joints and muscles. Feeling a moment of weightlessness before crashing down with a thunderous explosion like that of a bomb, the last thing Obi-Wan remembered hearing was R2D2 whirring loudly and the sound of tearing metal. The ship had glided towards the destination Plo Koon and Obi-Wan had directed it towards, but there had been just a little too much air under the nose of the ship, sparing the lives of the Jedi but in the process reducing the thrusters to smoking clumps of metal.

Feeling a searing pain rip through his side as he breathed in, Obi-Wan sat up from his position splayed across the dashboard of the shuttle, the strap of the seat hold tightly across his waist. Looking down at his chest, he felt relieved at the fact that his white tunic was not covered in blood, but he instantly regretted the deep sigh of relief he gave. Bringing his right hand to his side as he moved to unclip himself from his seat, he closed his eyes and probed at his body with the Force. Feeling no broken bones near the pain, he dove further and let out a much softer sigh of relief as he saw the pain was only that of a deep bruise more than likely caused by his collision with the control board. Opening his eyes, he released the clasp of his seatbelt and stood slowly, his eyes scanning the cockpit for signs of the others. Seeing Plo Koon helping R2D2 up from the ground with a hand to his ribs, he took a step towards him to help him when suddenly he heard the shuttle doors being opened. Reaching down for his lightsaber, he pulled it free from his belt and glanced over at Anakin's seat, seeing it regretfully empty of his padawan. Stealing a glance towards Plo Koon and R2D2, he ignited his lightsaber and stepped quickly yet quietly through the shuttle, making sure to duck beneath sparking wires that hung from the battered passenger compartment.

Moving to the open door at the end of the room, Obi-Wan stepped into the door frame and shook his head, watching Anakin move around the sand to gather the charred remains of the ship. Turning off his lightsaber, he put it back on his belt with a wince, the twisting movement causing the pain in his side to flare up. Kneeling down and placing his forearm against the door, Obi-Wan watched Anakin moving around to grab the remains before glancing over his shoulder as he felt Plo Koon's presence nearing him. Turning to the other Jedi Master, he gestured out to the fire-baked sand and the fragments of metal before speaking, "It was the best landing we could hope for, but our ship has paid the price of our survival in full. I don't know if we can get up at all, or if it would even be functional for spaceflight."

Walking up beside Obi-Wan, Plo Koon looked around at the wreckage and nodded slowly before speaking, "You may be speaking the truth, but you cannot lose hope. Despite the fact that this planet was not our planned destination, I feel positive that the Force has led us here for a reason. During our descent, I felt a disturbance in the Force, and I feel it may help us to understand why we are here if we go and check it out." Looking down at the younger Jedi, Plo Koon chuckled softly before squatting with a hand pressed against his side, "It might serve you and your frustration well to also make a quick recon of the surrounding area." Stepping down from the ship, Plo Koon glanced towards the oasis he thought he had seen. Sighing softly, he shook his head as he realized there was no water there, the one lifeline he hoped they'd have depending on how long the ship took to get fixed. Looking up at the baking sun, he brought a hand up to first cover the sun and then to measure the amount of time that was left before the sun went down. Counting four and a half handbreadths, he knew better than to guess that one hand counted for a standard hour. Instead, he started counting the seconds in the back of his head, planning on checking when the sun was only four handbreadths from the horizon.

Watching Plo Koon document the possible amount of time before setting off towards where he had felt the disturbance in the Force, Obi-Wan stood up and stepped down from the ship with a hand gripping the door frame to keep him from jarring the pain in his side with the force of a jump. Stepping away from the ship, he straightened up to hide the pain in his side before going over to Anakin and speaking, "Once you have all of that inside the ship, we are going to do a quick reconnaissance to see just where you crashed us at, Anakin." Seeing the boy's shoulders slump and feeling a growing frustration in him, he shook his head and placed his hands on his hips while he waited for the boy's argument.

Standing up with several pieces of the engine looped over his arms, Anakin turned quickly towards Obi-Wan and lowered his arms, dropping the broken metal in a pile in front of his master. Tilting his head to the side, Anakin pointed at the pile of metal and then at the shuttle before speaking, "But Master, I already told you, I didn't crash the ship. If you'll ask Master Plo, he'll tell you no different. The ship just malfunctioned. And besides, didn't you tell him I was going to fix the ship?" Squatting down and picking up one of the pipes he had dropped, he held it up in front of him before speaking, "Master, if you take me on a recon mission, I won't be able to fix it, but if you leave me here with R2, we can have it fixed by the time you get back."

Chuckling at the boy's boast, Obi-Wan grabbed the pipe from his hand and pointed it at Anakin's chest before speaking in a firm voice, "You are going to come with me to do a recon, end of discussion. I know you won't stay here and fix the ship like you said. Besides, with this lightsaber on your belt, you are going to try to be some kind of hero and go off on your own scouting mission." Seeing Anakin's face drop into a frown, Obi-Wan sighed and brought his free hand up to cover his face before speaking, "Just give me your lightsaber and you can stay here to fix the ship."

Looking down at the lightsaber on his belt, Anakin grinned before taking the pipe from Kenobi's hand and speaking, "But Master, if you take my lightsaber, won't I be defenseless and an easy target to whoever may live here?" Seeing his Master cover his face again before sighing, Anakin backed away with a grin before speaking quickly, "I swear I won't do anything stupid and I'll have the ship fixed before you get back. Come on R2!" Turning away from Obi-Wan, Anakin ran quickly to the entrance of the ship, climbing into it and waiting for R2 to fly himself in with his jets on the sides of his legs. Smiling at the droid, he ran to get his toolbox he had packed in his room while shouting to R2, "Ok buddy, I need you to run a diagnostic on the ship. I need to know what is really broken and what we can put off for once we are airborne again."

Hearing his padawan and the astromech going to work on the ship, Obi-Wan turned around and threw his arms up, looking into the sky as his memories of Qui-Gon asking him to train the boy came flooding back to him. Remembering also the council's insistence that the boy be given a lightsaber, Obi-Wan rolled his eyes before muttering to himself, "One moment they think he is far too old to be trained because Qui-Gon wanted to, but now, after only a few years, it is time to let him create a lightsaber." Shaking his head, he breathed in slowly to calm himself before setting out in the direction opposite where Master Plo had went. Meaning to keep the ship within sight to know if Anakin was doing anything too foolish, he allowed himself to reach out with the Force to bring his mind to ease and to try to do a semi-meditation to reprimand himself for letting his emotions grow too quickly. It was when he had allowed the meditative feelings to cover his mind and guide him forward that he too felt a disturbance in the Force. All around him, the Living Force was flowing through everything, but with every step he took, it seemed that more and more places that were once inhabited by the Force suddenly became void of it. Hearing a rustling of brush to his left, he turned slowly and reached out with the Force, immediately shrinking back as he felt nothing where he very clearly saw a young child with russet, reddish-brown skin and a spear in his hand. Reaching out with the Force yet again reaffirmed his first thought: that this child was completely devoid of the Force and was yet still alive, breathing, and looking at him with cold eyes.