"What happened!?" Obi-Wan exclaimed "That didn't sound good."
Alanae looked at the readings on the ship's controls.
"Looks like he shot the rear-gun clear off, and he blew a hole in the hyperdrive generator."
Obi-Wan let his head sink into his hands.
"Don't worry, I can still get us out of here. I've got an auxiliary generator, but we need to get this guy off our tail if we want to be able to set coordinates."
Alanae swerved Crimson Storm out of the way of some more shots. Her mind was racing. How could she rid herself of this last enemy? If she didn't hurry, the whole planet's fleet would be upon them and while she could gun down quite a few ships, those odds would have been impossible to get out of. Besides, the government wanted Tibbar, Obi-Wan's mistaken identity, in only one condition: dead.
"Can't you flip another switch and shoot him down like the other one?" asked Obi-Wan, looking at her with pleading eyes. At any other time, Alanae might have been quite distracted by this but instead, she stayed solid and focused.
"I'm a pilot, not a miracle worker."
This adversary was much more daring than the others. He used difficult moves to try to get a better shot at Crimson. Alanae had her hands full just trying to avoid the onslaught. Obi-Wan had closed his eyes, trying to clear his mind. He thought of a blank screen. Distractions, noises, thoughts, all were brushed away by an invisible hand. Opening his eyes again, his thoughts were no longer clouded with fear but instead flowed and he acted almost automatically.
"I can take him," he said.
"What!?"
"I said, I can take him."
"With what, Jedi-boy?" inquired Alanae.
"You have another gun on this ship, don't you?"
"Yeah," she said, a bit impressed "it's on the starboard side but--"
"We'll use that."
"We'd have to do a fly-by to shoot it. It's way too low-range for this. I mean, do you even know how to shoot a gun?"
"I'd wouldn't man the gun."
"Then who would, an invisible friend?"
"You," Obi-wan said calmly.
"Somebody's elevator isn't going to the top floor," she responded.
Just then, another blast rocked the ship. The sensors went wild and Alanae acted swiftly to isolate the damage.
"Another hit like that and we're toast."
"Let me pilot the ship. It's now or never."
Alanae looked at Obi-wan for a second, then got up. Obi-wan immediately sat down in the pilot's chair and grabbed the steering. Calling upon the Force, he guided the ship smoothly, evading each bolt almost before it was fired. Alanae went into the back to man the gun.
"I'm ready," Alanae called up to him "If you think you can't make it, pull out and we'll figure out another way."
Obi-Wan turned Crimson storm around and headed for the side of the ship, dodging shot after shot. He kept his mind clear and lent all his concentration to using the Force. It guided him closer and closer to the fast-approaching enemy.
"We're almost there!" he called to Alanae.
The gap between the two ships closed. The aggressive attacker kept up his fire, not changing course and being just a bit too daring for his own good. Obi-Wan flew Crimson closer still and then, imitating Alanae's earlier victory, suddenly switched into high throttle. They catapulted towards the adversary. Alanae shot as many bolts as she could into the enemy ship's side. Obi-Wan flew Crimson away from the ship and the turned it round again to face the enemy. He was debating making another pass at the ship, which seemed to have slowed almost to a halt. Silence descended, only to be broken by the explosion of the final foe.
"We did it!" shouted Alanae, running up from the back "We did it! We did it! We did it!"
Obi-wan just sat back and smiled.
* * *
Obi-Wan sat in the small charting room. Alanae had hooked up the auxiliary hyperdrive generator and they were now safely on their way away from the desert planet. He looked out the window and again let his thoughts drift to his master. He looked up when the door opened and Alanae entered. She dropped a familiar-looking sack on the table.
"I thought you'd like some snacks," she said and turned to leave.
"Wait," said Obi-Wan. Alanae turned back towards him but Obi-Wan could sense that she had had reservations about doing so.
"I didn't get a good answer from you before," he said.
"What are you talking about?"
"When I asked you about midi--" he stopped himself "about blood samples."
"I don't remember."
"Then I'll start over," said Obi-Wan patiently "Have you ever had a blood sample taken?"
"I don't think so. Why?"
"Because I took one earlier, after I woke you up, using blood from the swabs I cleaned you wound with."
"And--"
"And I checked your midichlorian count."
"Midichlorian count? What?" she asked as she sat down.
"You've heard of the Force, right?"
"A little."
"Well, the more midichlorians you have in your cells, the more sensitive you are to the Force."
Alanae paused then asked "Where are you going with this?"
"Your midichlorian count is as high as mine. Right now you should be as I am, a Jedi padawan."
Alanae sat back, stunned. "You mean, I could be a Jedi Knight if I wanted to?"
"Well, not really. Jedi padawan start training at a very young age. According to the Jedi Council's rules, you're too old to start training now."
"But you're saying, I could've been a Jedi? If I had-- If I had had my blood tested for the little whatevers?"
Obi-Wan nodded and looked at her, gauging her reaction. She looked around, letting it all sink in. He suspected that she was choking back tears. Obi- Wan wanted to somehow sooth her but used his will to remain still. Alanae got up and went to the door.
"Enjoy the food, she said over her shoulder, and walked out.
* * *
Alanae went to the cockpit, where she felt most at home. She gazed out at the stars streaking by. This journey was certainly more than she had imagined. She sat there for a long time, letting the questions run through her mind as she did her best to absorb it all. All her life she had looked up to Jedi like they stood on some high pillar. This adventure had changed everything. Not only did she now know a padawan, for whom she had a growing respect, she also knew she could have, infact, should have been amongst their ranks. Why had the Force brought her into the world an unwanted child in the slums of a remote desert planet? What part could she possibly play?
Obi-Wan watched Alanae like a shadow. She was headstrong and independent, much like himself, yet he couldn't silence this voice in his head that said "but what if…" Though her rootless existence as an outlaw did not appeal to him in the least, he could not help but admire her for her strength and determination. He sighed and went back into the charting room, wondering if he had done the right thing to tell her of a destiny that was no longer possible.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
A/N: I changed this chapter from having lyrics in it to not because it just didn't seem to fit. I'll put in lyrics from a better song in later, when it's more appropriate. Thanks for all the reviews. I will stress that without them, I don't have a reason for continuing so *please* keep them coming! Thankies & toodles. ^_^
Alanae looked at the readings on the ship's controls.
"Looks like he shot the rear-gun clear off, and he blew a hole in the hyperdrive generator."
Obi-Wan let his head sink into his hands.
"Don't worry, I can still get us out of here. I've got an auxiliary generator, but we need to get this guy off our tail if we want to be able to set coordinates."
Alanae swerved Crimson Storm out of the way of some more shots. Her mind was racing. How could she rid herself of this last enemy? If she didn't hurry, the whole planet's fleet would be upon them and while she could gun down quite a few ships, those odds would have been impossible to get out of. Besides, the government wanted Tibbar, Obi-Wan's mistaken identity, in only one condition: dead.
"Can't you flip another switch and shoot him down like the other one?" asked Obi-Wan, looking at her with pleading eyes. At any other time, Alanae might have been quite distracted by this but instead, she stayed solid and focused.
"I'm a pilot, not a miracle worker."
This adversary was much more daring than the others. He used difficult moves to try to get a better shot at Crimson. Alanae had her hands full just trying to avoid the onslaught. Obi-Wan had closed his eyes, trying to clear his mind. He thought of a blank screen. Distractions, noises, thoughts, all were brushed away by an invisible hand. Opening his eyes again, his thoughts were no longer clouded with fear but instead flowed and he acted almost automatically.
"I can take him," he said.
"What!?"
"I said, I can take him."
"With what, Jedi-boy?" inquired Alanae.
"You have another gun on this ship, don't you?"
"Yeah," she said, a bit impressed "it's on the starboard side but--"
"We'll use that."
"We'd have to do a fly-by to shoot it. It's way too low-range for this. I mean, do you even know how to shoot a gun?"
"I'd wouldn't man the gun."
"Then who would, an invisible friend?"
"You," Obi-wan said calmly.
"Somebody's elevator isn't going to the top floor," she responded.
Just then, another blast rocked the ship. The sensors went wild and Alanae acted swiftly to isolate the damage.
"Another hit like that and we're toast."
"Let me pilot the ship. It's now or never."
Alanae looked at Obi-wan for a second, then got up. Obi-wan immediately sat down in the pilot's chair and grabbed the steering. Calling upon the Force, he guided the ship smoothly, evading each bolt almost before it was fired. Alanae went into the back to man the gun.
"I'm ready," Alanae called up to him "If you think you can't make it, pull out and we'll figure out another way."
Obi-Wan turned Crimson storm around and headed for the side of the ship, dodging shot after shot. He kept his mind clear and lent all his concentration to using the Force. It guided him closer and closer to the fast-approaching enemy.
"We're almost there!" he called to Alanae.
The gap between the two ships closed. The aggressive attacker kept up his fire, not changing course and being just a bit too daring for his own good. Obi-Wan flew Crimson closer still and then, imitating Alanae's earlier victory, suddenly switched into high throttle. They catapulted towards the adversary. Alanae shot as many bolts as she could into the enemy ship's side. Obi-Wan flew Crimson away from the ship and the turned it round again to face the enemy. He was debating making another pass at the ship, which seemed to have slowed almost to a halt. Silence descended, only to be broken by the explosion of the final foe.
"We did it!" shouted Alanae, running up from the back "We did it! We did it! We did it!"
Obi-wan just sat back and smiled.
* * *
Obi-Wan sat in the small charting room. Alanae had hooked up the auxiliary hyperdrive generator and they were now safely on their way away from the desert planet. He looked out the window and again let his thoughts drift to his master. He looked up when the door opened and Alanae entered. She dropped a familiar-looking sack on the table.
"I thought you'd like some snacks," she said and turned to leave.
"Wait," said Obi-Wan. Alanae turned back towards him but Obi-Wan could sense that she had had reservations about doing so.
"I didn't get a good answer from you before," he said.
"What are you talking about?"
"When I asked you about midi--" he stopped himself "about blood samples."
"I don't remember."
"Then I'll start over," said Obi-Wan patiently "Have you ever had a blood sample taken?"
"I don't think so. Why?"
"Because I took one earlier, after I woke you up, using blood from the swabs I cleaned you wound with."
"And--"
"And I checked your midichlorian count."
"Midichlorian count? What?" she asked as she sat down.
"You've heard of the Force, right?"
"A little."
"Well, the more midichlorians you have in your cells, the more sensitive you are to the Force."
Alanae paused then asked "Where are you going with this?"
"Your midichlorian count is as high as mine. Right now you should be as I am, a Jedi padawan."
Alanae sat back, stunned. "You mean, I could be a Jedi Knight if I wanted to?"
"Well, not really. Jedi padawan start training at a very young age. According to the Jedi Council's rules, you're too old to start training now."
"But you're saying, I could've been a Jedi? If I had-- If I had had my blood tested for the little whatevers?"
Obi-Wan nodded and looked at her, gauging her reaction. She looked around, letting it all sink in. He suspected that she was choking back tears. Obi- Wan wanted to somehow sooth her but used his will to remain still. Alanae got up and went to the door.
"Enjoy the food, she said over her shoulder, and walked out.
* * *
Alanae went to the cockpit, where she felt most at home. She gazed out at the stars streaking by. This journey was certainly more than she had imagined. She sat there for a long time, letting the questions run through her mind as she did her best to absorb it all. All her life she had looked up to Jedi like they stood on some high pillar. This adventure had changed everything. Not only did she now know a padawan, for whom she had a growing respect, she also knew she could have, infact, should have been amongst their ranks. Why had the Force brought her into the world an unwanted child in the slums of a remote desert planet? What part could she possibly play?
Obi-Wan watched Alanae like a shadow. She was headstrong and independent, much like himself, yet he couldn't silence this voice in his head that said "but what if…" Though her rootless existence as an outlaw did not appeal to him in the least, he could not help but admire her for her strength and determination. He sighed and went back into the charting room, wondering if he had done the right thing to tell her of a destiny that was no longer possible.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
A/N: I changed this chapter from having lyrics in it to not because it just didn't seem to fit. I'll put in lyrics from a better song in later, when it's more appropriate. Thanks for all the reviews. I will stress that without them, I don't have a reason for continuing so *please* keep them coming! Thankies & toodles. ^_^