Ch. 15 Nothing Left to Have
Lynn pointed out. The first she had spoken to Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan's ears.
"I know! Vinkins must of thought is was just us."
"And Thomas apparently."
Jesi added. The hum of the land speeders was getting closer and they could even hear commands being yelled. Not to mention the rumbling hum of the land fighters nearing.Dawn had just passed now.
"Alright alright...look Obi-Wan's the smallest here, Qui-Gon, Billy, and Pierce you guys are to big for anyone to ride with you.Lynn..."
She looked at her and gave her a small smile. The last thing she would need right now was close pysical contact.Lynn smiled back slightly knowing that Jesi understood.
"Obi-Wan, you're riding with me kid."
Jesi said looking at him.Qui-Gon looked at her a little worried."Relax Master Qui-Gon.I'll take good care of him. Right kid?" She asked patting him on the shoulder then going to start the bike.
"Are you going to be alright?"
Qui-Gon asked.
"Well I'd fall off the back riding with you so I think I'll take my chances with Jesiana."
Obi-Wan said with a small smile.Qui-Gon smiled back slightly. Suddenly blaster shots sounded and hit nearby trees.
"Come On!" Jesi yelled at the two. Obi-Wan jumped on the bike's seat behind her and Qui-Gon started his quickly slightly taken back when he started off at the speed of the transport. Gradually he got used to it following Jesi and Obi-Wan to wherever they were going.
Having a shot zip passed her ear Jesi got a little agitated.
"What do we have back there?"
She asked Obi-Wan. He glanced back seeing 6 identical speeders.
"Same as us plus one."
He replied.
"Well that's not good."
Jesi muttered. A clearing was coming up and she signaled Qui-Gon to come to her right as she sped up to catch up with the other three.They reached the clearing and lined up.
"We're going to have to split up, we have twins."
She yelled over the wind.
"Pierce, Lynn, left.Billy, Qui-Gon right."
The five split up different ways taking tailers with them. Jesi and Obi-Wan went no where but up.Obi-Wan slid back a little in his small area of a seat.
"Hold on."
Jesi said still going up while taking their two tailers with them. Finally, as Obi-Wan thought he was going off they turned for a nose-dive down.Their speed was rather exciting no matter how you put it. Blaster shots shot the snow up around the speeder as Jesi pulled up inches from the snow itself. One of the tailers wasn't so lucky to pull up and that's what she was hoping for.
~~~~~~~~NPV~~~~~~~
Qui-Gon had somehow found himself within trees. Many trees. He doubted that without the Force he would be able to weave through them at his speed. Soon he quickly lost his tailer and turned back to the clearing to help whoever it was who was being chased along the snow. Getting closer he saw it was Pierce and came up behind the tailer trying to figure out which switch was the trigger. Once he figured it out it took three shots to get him down.Pierce waved him to follow and Qui-Gon noticed the space craft coming in.He also felt the heat on his back and looked behind him.Even from where they were, near a mile and a half away from the camp he could feel the heat of the explosions happening.He could see fighters in the air, Kishir and Kishir II fighters at once.
~~~~~~~~NPV~~~~~~~~
"Obi-Wan."
Jesi said.
"Yeah?"
Obi-Wan replied glancing back at their tailer.
"After this you and I are going on a diet."
"What?"
He asked caught off guard by the statement. Jesi laughed a little glancing back at the tailer as well.
"Left."
Obi-Wan instructed.
"This was made for one person and with two it's being weighed down.Our tailer is faster than us and can out maneuver us.We can't out run him."
She said.
"Oh."
Obi-Wan replied understanding the sarcasuim now.
"Right, left."
He instructed further. The snow bursts around the speeder showed where a missed shot was taken.
"Look!"
Obi-Wan pointed out the incoming spacecraft.
"That's our ticket off this place."
Jesi told him. Then, when neither were paying attention a blast connected with the tail of the bike.
"Sith spit!"
Jesi cursed trying to control the speeder as the fuel leaked out from the back.
"Oh-no...Jump Obi-Wan!"
Jesi yelled pushing back off the bike taking Obi-Wan with her as another blast hit the same spot this time making the speeder burst into flames from the fuel leak.
~~~~~~~NPV~~~~~~~
"Keep it high!Don't let them tail you!"
He telled into his mic as defense fighters rushed off the base of the camp.
"Start making a mess boy and girls."
He added lowering his weapons. He could see on the other side of the camp the slaves running. They fled over the wall and it was like a wave of terror.He prayed they'd get far enough away. The group still didn't know where the power management tank was. It was big wherever it was and it would explode violently. If the pipes to it where hit it would carry on to the tank and all hell would erupt.
~~~~~~~NPV~~~~~~~
"Where are the others?"
Qui-Gon asked as they stopped watching the craft come in.
"They have their own problems and are dealing with them."
Pierce replied.
"Don't worry they'll all make it in time."
He added.Qui-Gon nodded look back the way they came. He saw no one. Both Jesi and Obi-Wan tumbled and rolled down the snowy hill.
~~~~~~NPV~~~~~~~
They hit bottom with a 'hmph' at the bottom. Jesi turned over with blaster ready for the tailer but he was no where to be seen.
"Why would he turn around now?"
She muttered.
"Could that be why?"
Obi-Wan asked sitting up and looking at an energy tank the size of a city hall.
"Uh..yeah that could be why."
Jesi said breathless. So this is where it was.Oh Sith!
"Run.Go now."
She pushed Obi-Wan up to run and followed.
"Why are we running?"
"Because when that thing blows it's going to blow for a least a mile."
"A mile?!"
They looked at the space craft going under a hill, it was landing.
"And they're going to be nothing when that happens."
She added.
~~~~~~~NPV~~~~~~
"Warning incoming craft, this is Home Kishir warning that you may be in a war torn area.There is an unknown location of a great explosive in the area. Turn around and leave immediatly."
Mace frowned looking at the com itself.
"What should we do sir?"
The pilot asked.
"Land.We have to land."
He replied.
"With all due respect sir but if they have to warn us then it's not going to be long until whatever that is explodes."
The pilot said shakily.
"Land, we'll move out as soon as we can."
"Y-yes sir."
The pilot replied turning to his co-pilot with a nod. Mace knew the pilot was right, it wouldn't be long untill the explosion came.
The ramp lowered and still no Jesi, Obi-Wan, or Billy. Qui-Gon looked back, wait someone was coming, but from the looks of it it was Billy...not Obi-Wan and Jesiana.
"Come on!We have to go now!"
Mace yelled running down the ramp. Adi helped Lynn on and awaited for the two, wait three, men.
"We can't go yet, Obi-Wan and Jesiana aren't back."
Qui-Gon replied.Billy jumped off his bike.
"I didn't see them at all since we split up."
He said.
"Look, there's some sort of mass explosive near here. If we wait much longer we'll be nothing but ashes and they won't get home on ashes."
"Well if we're just ashes then they would be too.We have to wait Mace."
Qui-Gon replied looking at his friend. Mace sighed.
"You two, get on board.We'll give them a little longer."
He ordered.
"If another warning comes through we'll have to go Qui-Gon."
He added. Qui-Gon just nodded still looking out onto the snow plains.
~~~~~~~NPV~~~~~~~
"Come on, we can do this!"
Jesi hauled Obi-Wan to his feet again. He hadn't recovered from his latest beating and his ribs were broken yet again, not to mention near broken limbs elsewhere. Obi-Wan gathered what Force he could into him willing his body on.
"Just a little further."
Jesi lied. They still had nearly 3/4 of a mile left. This snow hill was killing them both. The snow would slide out from under their feet constantly and if you hit a patch of ice, Force help you because you were going to slide a few yards down again. The cold air ripped at their lungs as they struggled up and up.
~~~~~~~~NPV~~~
"Watch your left 43."
He could hear everything coming over the com. No big explosion had happened yet and they couldn't leave untill it did. They had to wipe out their power supply.
"Alright start moving down, we have to find the pipe lines."
He ordered. His group did so along with him.
~~~~~~~NPV~~~~~~
"Craft D42831, we repeat, you are in dangerous grounds.Leave immediatly to avoid explosion.Craft D428-"
Mace turned away from the com and ran down the ramp again.
"Qui-Gon, we have to gonow.For all we know they could have been warned and found somewhere safe to be. That's not going to be our story if we stay here."
Mace pleaded. He knew the boy meant everything to Qui-Gon but Qui-Gon would be nothing if they were here when that explosion happened.
"We can't just leave them here Mace."
"And we can't do anything if we're dead either.Qui, I know his like your son but we have to go then come back for him."
"Warning Craft D42831, explosive key has been found.You have two minutes until explosion."
The com said.
"Qui-Gon.."
Mace pleaded.
"We'll hover in the air the first minute, maybe we'll be able to see them."
He said.Qui-Gon looked at him thoughtfully.
"It's a chance."
Mace added.
"Fine."
Qui-Gon replied turning with Mace inside.Mace glanced back seeing nothing and continued on closing the ramp.
~~~~~~NPV~~~~~~~~
"Where..where are they..going?Are th-they..leaving?"
Obi-Wan asked as they reached the top and could see the spacecraft closing it's ramp and starting up.
"We can st-..still make it."
Jesi said looking down.
"That thing..is going to blow..any minute now..we have to run."
She added.
"Come on, just...think of this..as..training."
Obi-Wan glanced at her giving a quick smile. Then they half ran half slid down the large hill on the will of life.
~~~~~~~~NPV~~~~~~~
"Move out falcons.We got it! Go, we don't know where this sucker's gonna blow."
He ordered after dropping the timer. They had 90 seconds left now to get as far away as possible. He just hoped that they weren't headed towards the explosion rather than away.
~~~~~~~~NPV~~~~~
"I still don't see anyone."
Billy reported the fact that everyone in the cockpit already knew.
"Maybe we're too high."
Qui-Gon added.
"If we go any lower we will barely have enough time to pull back out."
The pilot said. Qui-Gon sighed fustrated. Another 20 seconds passed.
"There!Look!"
Pierce pointed down. Sure enough there were two figures running like bats out of hell towards where they once were
"Go down..we can pick them up."
Mace instructed.
"I- I'm not going down there again!"
The pilot said nervously.
"If you don't go back down you'll have a much worse problem up here than you ever would down there."
Qui-Gon replied. The pilots face paled further. He began switching gears while saying,
"I'm just a cargo pilot..I just got this job..I'm never doing this again."
Qui-Gon rolled his eyes. He could understand his fear but when fear got in the way of saving people's lives it was a bit much.
"We have an explosion chain starting off of the camp..it's headed this way."
Adi said removing the head set for a moment."Alright alright, we still have time." Qui-Gon said stubbornly looking down at the two figures.
~~~~~~~NPV~~~~~~~
"Lo-Look they're...coming..back!"
Obi-Wan announced.Jesi looked up.
"See...now we can make this."
She puffed out. Her lungs were killing her with the coldness. She wondered how Obi-Wan was really doing. His ribs must be murder at this pace. Jesi paused hearing something and eventually came to a stop.Obi-Wan was 5 yards ahead of her when he stopped to see why.
"What are y-"
It was explosions.The heat and rumble, it was the explosion.
"Move it kid! Go! Don't stop!"
She yelled waving her arms frantically at him. Obi-Wan did as told.
The heat was amazing, the hard snow was beginning to splash at their feet.
"Faster Obi-Wan!" Jesi yelled.
~~~~~~~~NPV~~~~~~
"Don't land, just lower the ramp and hover, wait for them."
Mace ordered.The pilot did as told lowering the craft about 5 yards above the ground then letting the ramp down to 7 feet above the ground. Qui-Gon entered the wind blow room where the enterance was. Billy was there as well.
"They'll make it!"
Billy said seeming to try and covince himself over the wind.
~~~~~~~NPV~~~~~~~
'Almost there, almost there, almost there...'
Obi-Wan willed his tired legs on. His concentration on the Force was lessening. He couldn't think of anything but the ship. Another 8 yards. Almost there..
'Yep, that was smart Jesi...just stop and think Now look, you have 14 yards to the ship..'
Jesi wanted to smack herself on the head. The rumbling was louder now and she knew it was spreading.
'Jump Kenobi.'
Obi-Wan ordered himself. He did and grabbed the end of the ramp. Before he knew it his Master pulled him up into the ship.Out of breath and tortured with aching lungs Obi-Wan flopped down to the ground.
"Padawan, can you hear me? Are you alright?"
"I think...I just set..my own..record..for running.."
He took a deep breath.
"Nearly..amile and a..half.."
Qui-Gon laughed slightly.
"Well should I congradulate you then?"
Qui-Gon asked.
"Later...where's Jesiana?"
Obi-Wan suddenly realized he was alone and looked back out the open ramp.
~~~~~NPV~~~~~~~
'Go faster...go faster.'
Jesi thought. They puddles at her feet were getting larger. Suddenly the rumbling stopped.
'Uh-oh.'
She thought and didn't need to look back to know what happened. Then the explosion set off. Heat pressed into her back and she knew the flames were coming near.
'Jump now Jesi, or die trying.'
She thought and with everything she had left to give she jumped. Her hands met that of metal and she gripped it for dear life..literally. The heat tore at her back and she realized that the wind was blowing fiercly, they were flying up. Oh boy, hold on tighter now.
"Jesi!Give me your hand!"
Billy yelled over the wind. She put her hand out and latched on to his as she did the metal.The ramp closed and she slid into the room.The ship shook from the explosion but soon quieted and Jesi lay next to Obi-Wan trying to catch her breath.
"So..kid..was that .....fun..or what?"
She asked.
"Oh yeah..we'll have to do..that again some time."
Obi-Wan replied. Jesi laughed and laid her head back on the floor as the others came in.
The end???? Yeah right! Ha that's funny! I still have lots to explain in about 2 more chapters. But i think this is it for today. Hope you like it all. remember Review! lol. ok well...
Tbc.....
