Disclaimer: *Digging* I still... *grunt*... don't own... *grunt*... Star Wars... *grunt*... but I'm... *grunt*... about too. *grunt*
Chapter 3... Evacuate
Obi-Wan and I ran up to the first building. When we got inside, we saw complete chaos. Some people were running around screaming while others were hiding under anything they could fit under.
Obi-Wan turned to me and said, "You get everyone out down here. I'll go to the highest floor I can and get people to start evacuating."
"So, you're just going to leave me?" I asked. I was beyond terrified at this point and I didn't want to be separated from my brother.
"Yes, but not for long," he replied. Before I could object, he continued, "Rilla, I need you down here to make sure things don't get out of control. You're good at things like that."
I lowered my head in defeat. "Ok," I said.
He gave me a small smile before hurrying to the stairs. I turned to the crowd of people and shouted, "Listen up, people! I need everyone to get out of the building," I raised my hands as everyone started to stampede out, "in a calm and orderly fashion. That way no one gets hurt. Got it?" Everyone slowed down and started to calmly walk out of the building. /That's a lot of stairs/ I heard Obi-Wan say through our twin bond.
/Well, what did you expect? An escalator/ I asked.
/I was kinda hoping for one/ He said. I could sense that he was trying to help us both relax a bit. And I won't lie, it did work to some degree.
I began to search the floor I was on for anyone who might still be inside. I found a few people and told them to get out quickly.
/I just cleared the highest floor I can get to/ Obi-Wan informed me.
/Ok, I'll be waiting for them/ I then went back to the front of the building and over to the door I had seen my brother go through.
As people began to flood out of the door, I gave them the same instructions I had given the people on the first floor several minutes earlier.
It was about ten minutes later that the floor began to shake. Everyone quickly threw themselves on the ground. The rumbling was followed shortly by a loud crashing noise.
/Did another ship hit a building/ I asked my brother, knowing he would be able to see what had happened from a window of the floor he was on. /No/ He replied.
/Then what.../
/The other building just collapsed/ He said.
"What?!" I said out loud as well as through the bond. /Did Master Qui- Gon get out before it fell/ I asked concerned.
/I don't know/ I could tell he was just as worried as I was. /But he would tell us to focus on the moment and get everyone out of this building/ /You're right. Everyone from the last floor is out, I'm just waiting for the next group now/ We then continued our task.
Another ten minutes of evacuating had Obi-Wan on the floor directly above me. While directing people out, I reached out with the Force to sense how sturdy our building was. What I felt was not good.
/Obi.../ I began.
/I know/ He said before I could finish. /Just keep getting people out. And if I tell you to run, run/
That order came sooner than I expected. /I'm going to double check this floor. You go ahead and get out/ He said.
I chose not to argue this time. I ran out of the building but, instead of going to where everyone else was I stopped and waited for my brother. That might not have been a good idea.
