A sudden jolt from Crimson Storm awoke Alanae. She sat up and glanced
about the sleeping chamber's smooth walls. Then, she was almost thrown out
of bed by another huge shake. Quickly shedding her sleeping garments, she
threw on a tunic, pants and boots before running to the cockpit. Once
there, she found Obi-Wan already waiting.
"Is there any possibility I might actually make it back to my master in one piece?"
Alanae looked at the controls as Crimson was rocked again. Obi-Wan was knocked off his feet. She stared down at him, a stern look in her eye.
"I really don't appreciate that."
"Just tell me what's wrong," he said, rubbing the back of his head as he got up and strapped himself down in the passenger's seat.
"The engine's giving out. We're halfway across the galaxy but running out of energy."
"You're kidding."
"It's not as bad as you think. We have enough energy to get us to the nearest system. Yavin, I think it's called. The planet is a gas giant but the 4 moon is habitable."
"Fine. Just get me onto some solid ground."
* * *
Alanae steered Crimson to a forested moon circling a huge red gas giant. Obi-Wan buckled in for decent through the atmosphere and thanked the Force he had because as soon as they were through, the gauges all dimmed. The engine had failed. Keeping a cool head, Alanae did the best she could to make a landing as they shot towards the trees. When they got to the canopy, a stroke of luck caused Crimson to be redirected to a less steep angle when the hull grazed a large tree. The ship catapulted through the layers, being hit by innumerable branches and vines. Obi-Wan grasped his seat, his heart racing. Could this be the end? Then they hit the bottom. Crimson skidded along the soft forest floor. The two were jolted around violently. Eventually it came to a halt, restrained by thick vines from moving any farther.
The only sound came as a hiss from deep inside the ship. Alanae sat back and heaved a sigh. Obi-Wan's grip on the seat, however, was still as tight as ever and his knuckles were white. He glanced over to Alanae as she unbuckled herself. Was that a smile he saw? He had almost been killed on that desert planet but ever since he had joined up with her, things hadn't gotten much better. His Jedi calm had already faded and now it was replaced by anger. She walked out of the cockpit. He unbuckled himself and went after her.
"I didn't promise you good money for this," he said "You were supposed to get me back to my Master."
She didn't look back and went into the charting room. He followed her in.
"Are you listening to me?"
"You think I wanted to endanger my life like this?" she replied, back to him, as she took out some food.
"I don't know what you wanted. I just know that now I am trapped on some Force-forsaken planet on the Outer Rim with no idea where the nearest civilization is!"
"You forgot to mention the part about how you're also being hunted," added Alanae, still facing away from him. Her voice was full of sarcasm.
His blood boiled. Walking silently up to her, he grabbed her arm and turned her around. Because he was on the offensive, it took him a moment to realize that while he was spinning her, she had grabbed her blaster from her belt and now had it against his temple. The metal was cold on his skin. She looked up at him, unafraid.
"You may not have promised me money to get you into this situation but you did promise it to me if I kept you alive. Lucky for you, I'm holding up my side of the bargain. Otherwise, I guarantee you'd be dead by now."
He stared at her.
"Let go of me."
Obi-Wan thrust her wrist in her face and stalked out of the room. Alanae waited until the door was closed before she closed her eyes to fight the tears that threatened to spill down her cheeks.
"Is there any possibility I might actually make it back to my master in one piece?"
Alanae looked at the controls as Crimson was rocked again. Obi-Wan was knocked off his feet. She stared down at him, a stern look in her eye.
"I really don't appreciate that."
"Just tell me what's wrong," he said, rubbing the back of his head as he got up and strapped himself down in the passenger's seat.
"The engine's giving out. We're halfway across the galaxy but running out of energy."
"You're kidding."
"It's not as bad as you think. We have enough energy to get us to the nearest system. Yavin, I think it's called. The planet is a gas giant but the 4 moon is habitable."
"Fine. Just get me onto some solid ground."
* * *
Alanae steered Crimson to a forested moon circling a huge red gas giant. Obi-Wan buckled in for decent through the atmosphere and thanked the Force he had because as soon as they were through, the gauges all dimmed. The engine had failed. Keeping a cool head, Alanae did the best she could to make a landing as they shot towards the trees. When they got to the canopy, a stroke of luck caused Crimson to be redirected to a less steep angle when the hull grazed a large tree. The ship catapulted through the layers, being hit by innumerable branches and vines. Obi-Wan grasped his seat, his heart racing. Could this be the end? Then they hit the bottom. Crimson skidded along the soft forest floor. The two were jolted around violently. Eventually it came to a halt, restrained by thick vines from moving any farther.
The only sound came as a hiss from deep inside the ship. Alanae sat back and heaved a sigh. Obi-Wan's grip on the seat, however, was still as tight as ever and his knuckles were white. He glanced over to Alanae as she unbuckled herself. Was that a smile he saw? He had almost been killed on that desert planet but ever since he had joined up with her, things hadn't gotten much better. His Jedi calm had already faded and now it was replaced by anger. She walked out of the cockpit. He unbuckled himself and went after her.
"I didn't promise you good money for this," he said "You were supposed to get me back to my Master."
She didn't look back and went into the charting room. He followed her in.
"Are you listening to me?"
"You think I wanted to endanger my life like this?" she replied, back to him, as she took out some food.
"I don't know what you wanted. I just know that now I am trapped on some Force-forsaken planet on the Outer Rim with no idea where the nearest civilization is!"
"You forgot to mention the part about how you're also being hunted," added Alanae, still facing away from him. Her voice was full of sarcasm.
His blood boiled. Walking silently up to her, he grabbed her arm and turned her around. Because he was on the offensive, it took him a moment to realize that while he was spinning her, she had grabbed her blaster from her belt and now had it against his temple. The metal was cold on his skin. She looked up at him, unafraid.
"You may not have promised me money to get you into this situation but you did promise it to me if I kept you alive. Lucky for you, I'm holding up my side of the bargain. Otherwise, I guarantee you'd be dead by now."
He stared at her.
"Let go of me."
Obi-Wan thrust her wrist in her face and stalked out of the room. Alanae waited until the door was closed before she closed her eyes to fight the tears that threatened to spill down her cheeks.