An hour later Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan, Tela, and her mother were sitting on an equally plush ship, well on their way to Tagamia. Obi-Wan was sitting beside Qui-Gon at a table, hands clenched in fists. He felt that something was very wrong. He didn't know what, but he knew that something bad was going to happen. He didn't dare tell Qui-Gon, in case the Ikous overhear and panic.
At the same time, Qui-Gon was engaged in idle conversation with the mother. He actually found her very boring, but was chatting with her to be polite. Tela was too busy fixing her nails to do anything, and Obi-Wan seemed to be lost in thought. Qui-Gon and Tela both bored of their talk, and the Ikous excused themselves to go to bed. Qui-Gon sat in the silence for a moment before turning to is Padawan.
"Is something wrong, Obi-Wan?"
Obi-Wan looked up slowly. "I don't know. I feel like something bad is going to happen, but I don't know what."
Qui-Gon frowned and studied his Padawan. For the first time he noticed that Obi-Wan seemed pale and afraid. Whatever it was that he felt was really bothering him. "Obi-Wan?" Qui-Gon asked, this time more gently. "Are you sure that is all that is wrong?"
The boy nodded. "Yes. Or at least I think so."
"What do you feel, exactly?"
"I'm not really sure, but it feels almost familiar. It's like I've been in that danger before. Only this time it will be worse." He looked away. "And I'm not sure that I'll walk away from it this time."
Qui-Gon stared for a moment. *What could make Obi-Wan feel like that?* he wondered. He leaned forward. "How does this danger feel familiar?"
Obi-Wan shook his head. "I don't know. Like a flashback, or a dream."
The Jedi Master frowned. "That doesn't make much sense, Padawan. I can understand the flashback part, but dreams are not real."
Obi-Wan lifted his head quickly and suddenly. "Not always are they not real. Sometimes I dream about...things that have happened to me in the past. Like Bruck, or Bandomeer, or even Xanatos."
"Are you sure the danger you sense is real? You may have had a nightmare and are just believing that you are in danger again."
"No! It's real, Qui-Gon. I feel it, and I can't believe you don't feel it too!" Obi-Wan huffed and buried his face in his hands.
Qui-Gon was quiet for the longest time. Then he laid a large hand on his Padawan's shoulder. "I am sorry, Obi-Wan."
Obi-Wan looked up at him. "Sorry for what? You haven't done anything."
Qui-Gon shook his head. "But I did. I doubted your feelings. And I also tried to get to you not believe what your heart is telling you. Just because I do not feel the threat does not mean it isn't there. As a Master, I should be telling you to trust your feelings, but I did not. And for that, I am sorry."
"It's alright, Master." Obi-Wan smiled, and Qui-Gon knew that the boy harbored no hard feelings.
"Good. Now I think we should follow our charges and go to sleep. It will be awhile before we get to Tagamia."
A few hours later, Qui-Gon was awakened by a sudden lurch of the ship. He sat up quickly and pulled on his boots. He was standing up when a still groggy Obi-Wan stumbled into his room.
"Something is hitting the ship, Master. We've been pulled out of hyperspace."
"Hurry and see what is hitting us. I will see to the family."
Obi-Wan nodded and rushed to the front of the ship. The captain and co-pilot were frantically trying to make a screeching siren turn off.
"What's going on?" Obi-Wan shouted over the shrill siren.
"We were pulled out of hyperspace by pirates! They're firing at us and the ship can't make it to Tagamia! We've taken heavy damage." the captain shouted back.
Obi-Wan cursed and turned to a console. They were in the Outer Rim. He touched a few keys and turned back to the captain. "Land on Tatooine!" Obi-Wan read out the coordinates to them, and the captain turned to face him.
"Tatooine? You can't be serious! That place is run by crooks!"
"It's the closest planet and unless you have a better idea, head to it!" Obi-Wan whirled around, and nearly fell as another hit rocked the ship, with the siren now blaring in the whole thing. Then he rushed as fast as he could back to Qui-Gon. He found the Jedi Master trying to calm a hysterical Tela. He pulled his Master aside. "The captain says it's pirates. We've taken heavy damage and can't make it to Tagamia! I told the captain to head towards Tatooine!" Obi-Wan paused and looked up at Qui-Gon, obviously waiting to see if the Jedi approved.
Qui-Gon nodded his head. "Good. That is a good place to hide."
Another hit rocked the ship. Obi-Wan cursed again and rushed to a hall of the ship, with a slightly confused Qui-Gon after him. "Obi-Wan?" he asked. "What are you doing?"
"I'm taking the top laser turrent! If we don't do something, then we will be blown to bits before we can even see Tatooine!" He turned and climbed up a ladder to the gun turrent. Qui-Gon watched as he climbed, then hopped down to the bottom turrent. He settled into his seat ans put on the headphone com. Obi-Wan was already set up and talking with the pilot.
"You just keep heading towards Tatooine and I'll keep the ships at bay."
The captain sounded uncertain as he replied. "Mr. Jedi, I don't think one turrent is going to keep back that many pirates.
Qui-Gon turned on his com. "That is a go, captain. Head to the planet, we'll take care of them."
"Qui-Gon!" Obi-Wan shouted over the com. "What are you doing?"
"That's kind of obvious, isn't it? I'm helping you."
"Alright, but I think this equipment is a little past your time."
The sound of passing fighter engines and laser fire drowned out Qui-Gon's reply. Obi-Wan cursed and fired at another ship that shot past his station. His com crackled and the pilot's voice sounded panicked. "I have affirmitive ID on fourteen fighters, but there sure looks like there is a lot more!"
"We're trying to count." Qui-Gon answered.
The turrents blared again and the sound of exploding metal was heard from outside the ship. Obi-Wan's voice came through the com, full of static. "However many there are, that's one less."
For the next fifteen minutes, both upper and lower turrents blared almost non-stop. Suddenly, as Obi-Wan fired at a ship, the controls sparked and the handgrips became unbearably hot. Obi-Wan cursed so loud that Qui-Gon didn't need the com to hear him.
"What's wrong up there, Obi-Wan?" he asked.
More cursing came through the com. "The turrent just shorted out. Overheated or something! I can't get it to do anything! I can't *do* anything! Sithspit!"
"Obi-Wan, calm down. The turrent is probably just-"
A curse and laser fire cut Qui-Gon off. Obi-Wan watched helplessly as a ship flew past his port almost casually. It was as if the pilot was mocking him because he couldn't shoot back. *Piece of junk ship, he thought to himself.
"Captain!" Qui-Gon shouted, "my turrent just shorted out as well. We now have no means of defense."
"Oh that's just great! We still have about five minutes until we reach the planet."
"Then kick it into high gear!" Obi-Wan shouted. There was com silence for a few long seconds.
"Captain?" Qui-Gon ventured. "How far would a one-second hyperspace hop take us?"
"Too close to the planet for my liking."
"How close would it bring us?"
"Right in the atmosphere, sir."
"Could you do it?"
"Gee, why don't you just ask me to self-destruct?" the pilot asked sarcastically.
"Will you just do what he asks!" Obi-Wan shouted.
The pilot sounded shaken. "Alright, but I don't know what the odds of survival are." A mere two seconds later, the Jedi felt the jolt of going into hyperspace, only to feel a second jolt right after it. Then the ship began to shake uncontrolably.
"We have ....entered...atmoshpere. With ...... may be able to ..." the pilot's voice broke through the com.
Qui-Gon ripped off his headset and shouted to Obi-Wan. "Get down here and get into a seat!" Qui-Gon began to climb up just as Obi-Wan began to climb down. Qui-Gon reached the deck level first and began to run to a seat, but a huge quiver of the ship nearly dropped him to the floor. He heard a loud thud and a shout of pain, and ran back to the turrent ladders.
Obi-Wan had been climbing down when the ship had shaken, causing him to lose his grip on the ladder rung, and fall down to the lower turrent. He lay stunned on the floor for a moment, laying uncomfortably on the mechanics. He was also bleeding from a gash on his head.
"Obi-Wan!" Qui-Gon shouted down the ladder.
The reply was a groggy, "Huh?"
"Are you alright? Can you climb back up?"
"Uh...yeah." Obi-Wan groaned and lifted himself to his feet. He was mumbling something incoherant as he slowly and unsteadily climbed up the ladder. He was almost to the top when the ship suddenly gave another lurch. Obi-Wan lost his grip again, and would have fallen had Qui-Gon not grasped his arm. The Jedi pulled him up and placed his hands on the teenager's shoulders. Obi-Wan still seemed dazed, and the bleeding had not even begun to stop yet. He steered the youth over to a seat and secured his crash webbing. Obi-Wan looked like the blow to his head was going to cause him to lose consiousness. Qui-Gon squeezed his shoulder. Then he turned and rushed down the hall to the Ikuos' sleeping quarters. He opened the door, and was nearly bowled over by a frantic Tela.
He grasped her arm and looked past her into the room. The girl's mother was trying unsteadily to walk over to the door.
"Hurry!" Qui-Gon shouted. "We must get you into crash webbing!"
"I am trying to get to you! But the ship keeps moving!" she shouted back.
"Omigosh!" Tela was screeching. "We're gonna die! We're all gonna die!" She tried to free herself from Qui-Gon's grasp, but he held on tight.
"Calm yourself! You will only die if you panic!" he shouted. Tela quieted, but the fear still had a firm grasp on her mind. Qui-Gon reached out and grabbed her mother's arm and pulled her out into the hall. Then he practically pushed them out to the room where the seats were. He secured a still frantic Tela in a seat while her mother secured herself.
Tela glanced over at Obi-Wan, who by now had lost consiousness with his head fallen to his chest, and screamed. "Omigosh! Oh! Obi-Wan's dead! He's dead! We are going to die!"
Qui-Gon secured his crash webbing about his shoulders then turned to her. "He's not dead! Now sit back and brace yourself!"
The overhead com crackled to life. "This is your captain. Our landing gear is shot, so we are going to have to make an emergency crash landing. I hope everybody back there is in a seat, because we're hitting hard!"
The ship shook once more, but then stilled. The still was eerie; the still before the storm. And the storm came soon enough. Only a moment after clearing the atmosphere, the half-dead ship began to plummet to the sandy earth. A moment after that, it hit the ground with tremendous force. Qui-Gon remembered feeling the shock of contact, pain in his head, then nothing.
Tela groaned as she woke up. Pushing pieces of supplies that had originally been secured on shelves off of her, she undid her crash webbing. She slid out of her seat and looked around. Her mother was in her seat, still out. Qui-Gon, also, was in his chair and still out. Obi-Wan, however, was awake and was clumsily undoing his crash webbing. The blood from the gash on his head had flowed down his face, giving him a ghastly look. His eyes met Tela's for a second, but he stood out of his seat and went straight to his Master.
"Master. Master." He shook Qui-Gon's shoulder. The large Jedi groaned and opened his eyes. He looked around, bewildered for a moment before turning back to his Padawan.
"Good, Obi-Wan. Now go see to the mother while I get out of this webbing."
Obi-Wan nodded and moved past fallen supplies to get to Terra. He shook her shoulder gently, not wanting her to be startled awake. She slowly opened her eyes. She studied Obi-Wan's face for a moment before freaking out. She was screeching incoherantly, flailing her hands at the young Jedi. He had to duck and dodge to avoid having a limb amputated by her long nails. Finally he got behind her and held her arms. "Calm down." he commanded softly, letting the Force carry the message.
She did calm, and stopped trying to kill him. She sunk to the floor and began to cry. Tela rushed to her mother and held her. Terra continued to cry, and Obi-Wan was able to understand a little of what she was saying. "Knew it. I knew it. They came after us. We're not safe."
Obi-Wan turned away to find Qui-Gon standing directly in front of him. The Jedi put a hand on his shoulder. "Are you alright, Obi-Wan?"
Obi-Wan nodded. "Yeah. Just a little dizzy."
"That was some blow you took to the head."
"Blow? When did I hit my head?" Obi-Wan reached up and touched his forehead. His hand came back crimson red. "Huh," he said, not the least bit alarmed. "I guess I did hit it." Then he looked toward the door that lead to the cockpit. "We should see if they're alright."
Qui-Gon frowned but nodded. Maybe Obi-Wan had spent a little too much time around Qui-Gon; he wasn't worried about his own health at all. He would have to check it soon.
Obi-Wan pushed fallen supplies out of the way, muttering complaints the whole way to the cockpit. He pushed open the door, revealing a cockpit pretty much intact. The pilot was unconsious, but the Bothan co-pilot was already checking systems. Obi-Wan walked up beside the pilot and shook his shoulder, saying, "Sir, sir wake up. You need to wake up."
It took awhile, but finally the pilot awoke from his 'slumber'. He shook his head a few times before undoing his crash webbing. He cursed at the predicament he was in, then began to check systems the co-pilot had already checked. The co-pilot stared at him blankly for a while before turning completely to him.
"I already checked that, sir."
The pilot turned and looked at him as if he had never seen him before. "Oh? Well, uh...that's good. Saves time." The pilot stood up shakily and made his way to the back, clapping Obi-Wan on the shoulder once, saying, "Good chap. Got us out of that one, we did." Then he walked into the passenger area of the ship, leaving behind a scared co-pilot and a confused Obi-Wan. Obi-Wan frowned and followed the pilot.
He found him standing by a seat, with one hand placed regally on the top, as if he were some heir to a local monarchy. He turned to the young Jedi. "Are we there yet, young chap?"
Obi-Wan's frown deepened. "What?"
The pilot repeated himself, slowly, pronouncing each word forcefully. "Are...we...there...yet?"
"Are we where?"
"Tagamia, chap! Where have you been?"
*The question is more like, where are you?* Obi-Wan thought. "Don't you remember? We were attacked by pirates in space, so we had to crash land on Tatooine."
The captain looked at him blankly. "Pirates? Tatooine? I thought we were on a private cruise to Tagamia." He turned to a viewport and scratched his head.
Obi-Wan grimaced and turned to Qui-Gon, who was standing behind him. "I think his brain is fried. He must have banged it up pretty bad."
Qui-Gon nodded. "And we can't get off of this planet without a pilot."
"Hey! I'm still here!" a voice shouted from behind them. They turned to see the Bothan standing in a doorway. "I am trained to fly the ship, you know."
Qui-Gon turned to him. "Yes I know that. I'm sure you are perfectly capable. I only meant that we will need a co-pilot to get the ship off the ground."
"If we haven't sustained any damage, you mean."
"Right." Qui-Gon turned to Obi-Wan. "I'm going to help him run diagnostics on the ship to see what is wrong. You stay here and watch over Terra and Tela."
Obi-Wan nodded. "Yes, Master."
Qui-Gon nodded his head and walked past the Padawan to the rear of the ship. He tore a loose panel from the wall and began to inspect the wires. He pulled a small computer from his pocket and attached a few wires in their designated spots. He frowned when he saw the results. He walked quickly back to the main room where his Padawan was sitting with their charges. Obi-Wan looked up as he walked in.
Qui-Gon guestured for Obi-Wan to come to him, which he did. "We have a problem."
"What else is new?" the youth quipped.
"The hyperdrive is unstable."
Obi-Wan's calm expression faded into one of fear. An unstable hyperdrive could mean that it could blow at any time. And hyperdrives carry a lot of energy. "What are we going to do about that?"
Qui-Gon shook his head. "I don't know, Obi-Wan."
Obi-Wan was quiet for a moment. "We should get off of the ship. We could find some board nearby, if there is anything on this foresaken planet. Then we can find a settlement nearby and find some parts. I know I can fix the hyperdrive, Master."
Qui-Gon's frowned deepend. It wasn't that he doubted Obi-Wan's mechanical abilities-- he knew that the boy could fix it-- he just didn't like the idea of Obi-Wan being near an unstable hyperdrive. "We don't even know if there is any place we can stay at in this area."
"Well here," Obi-Wan said as he sat at a map computer. He punched in a few keys, and suddenly a map of the planet appeared on the screen. "This is where we are," the teenage pointed to a small red dot. "And this is where the computer picks up lifeforms," he pointed to a cluster of green dots. The Padawan looked up at Qui-Gon, "It's only a few miles away. We could make it there before the suns set."
"Suns?" Tela asked suddenly, looking at Obi-Wan as if he were stupid.
"Yes, suns. This planet has two." Obi-Wan said, more than slightly annoyed.
Tela frowned at sat down with her mother. * I can't wait to get rid of her, *Obi-Wan thought.
Qui-Gon pointed to the cluster of green. "Are you sure that this is a permanent settlement and not a group of Tusken Raiders?"
"What are Tusken Raiders?"
"Nomadic peoples. Very dangerous to strangers."
Obi-Wan pushed a few more buttons. The screen flickered, but the green cluster remained. "I put it in to look for mechanical things too. It still shows this one."
Qui-Gon nodded and clapped Obi-Wan on the shoulder. "Good work, young Padawan. We will travel there as soon as we can."
"I don't want to go anywhere!" Terra suddenly shouted.
Qui-Gon turned to her with a menacing look. "Would you rather stay here with a hyperdrive that could blow at any moment?"
Terra paled. "The hyperdrive is unstable?"
"Yes. Now get ready to travel. And I suggest you change into something that will not make you look rich."
"Uh, Master?" Obi-Wan ventured. Qui-Gon turned to him. "Does this mean that we can change out of these horrid uniforms?" Obi-Wan asked, pulling at the collar of the uniform he had been forced to wear.
Qui-Gon grinned. "Yes. Go ahead and put on a tunic, but add a poncho."
"Yes, Master."
At the same time, Qui-Gon was engaged in idle conversation with the mother. He actually found her very boring, but was chatting with her to be polite. Tela was too busy fixing her nails to do anything, and Obi-Wan seemed to be lost in thought. Qui-Gon and Tela both bored of their talk, and the Ikous excused themselves to go to bed. Qui-Gon sat in the silence for a moment before turning to is Padawan.
"Is something wrong, Obi-Wan?"
Obi-Wan looked up slowly. "I don't know. I feel like something bad is going to happen, but I don't know what."
Qui-Gon frowned and studied his Padawan. For the first time he noticed that Obi-Wan seemed pale and afraid. Whatever it was that he felt was really bothering him. "Obi-Wan?" Qui-Gon asked, this time more gently. "Are you sure that is all that is wrong?"
The boy nodded. "Yes. Or at least I think so."
"What do you feel, exactly?"
"I'm not really sure, but it feels almost familiar. It's like I've been in that danger before. Only this time it will be worse." He looked away. "And I'm not sure that I'll walk away from it this time."
Qui-Gon stared for a moment. *What could make Obi-Wan feel like that?* he wondered. He leaned forward. "How does this danger feel familiar?"
Obi-Wan shook his head. "I don't know. Like a flashback, or a dream."
The Jedi Master frowned. "That doesn't make much sense, Padawan. I can understand the flashback part, but dreams are not real."
Obi-Wan lifted his head quickly and suddenly. "Not always are they not real. Sometimes I dream about...things that have happened to me in the past. Like Bruck, or Bandomeer, or even Xanatos."
"Are you sure the danger you sense is real? You may have had a nightmare and are just believing that you are in danger again."
"No! It's real, Qui-Gon. I feel it, and I can't believe you don't feel it too!" Obi-Wan huffed and buried his face in his hands.
Qui-Gon was quiet for the longest time. Then he laid a large hand on his Padawan's shoulder. "I am sorry, Obi-Wan."
Obi-Wan looked up at him. "Sorry for what? You haven't done anything."
Qui-Gon shook his head. "But I did. I doubted your feelings. And I also tried to get to you not believe what your heart is telling you. Just because I do not feel the threat does not mean it isn't there. As a Master, I should be telling you to trust your feelings, but I did not. And for that, I am sorry."
"It's alright, Master." Obi-Wan smiled, and Qui-Gon knew that the boy harbored no hard feelings.
"Good. Now I think we should follow our charges and go to sleep. It will be awhile before we get to Tagamia."
A few hours later, Qui-Gon was awakened by a sudden lurch of the ship. He sat up quickly and pulled on his boots. He was standing up when a still groggy Obi-Wan stumbled into his room.
"Something is hitting the ship, Master. We've been pulled out of hyperspace."
"Hurry and see what is hitting us. I will see to the family."
Obi-Wan nodded and rushed to the front of the ship. The captain and co-pilot were frantically trying to make a screeching siren turn off.
"What's going on?" Obi-Wan shouted over the shrill siren.
"We were pulled out of hyperspace by pirates! They're firing at us and the ship can't make it to Tagamia! We've taken heavy damage." the captain shouted back.
Obi-Wan cursed and turned to a console. They were in the Outer Rim. He touched a few keys and turned back to the captain. "Land on Tatooine!" Obi-Wan read out the coordinates to them, and the captain turned to face him.
"Tatooine? You can't be serious! That place is run by crooks!"
"It's the closest planet and unless you have a better idea, head to it!" Obi-Wan whirled around, and nearly fell as another hit rocked the ship, with the siren now blaring in the whole thing. Then he rushed as fast as he could back to Qui-Gon. He found the Jedi Master trying to calm a hysterical Tela. He pulled his Master aside. "The captain says it's pirates. We've taken heavy damage and can't make it to Tagamia! I told the captain to head towards Tatooine!" Obi-Wan paused and looked up at Qui-Gon, obviously waiting to see if the Jedi approved.
Qui-Gon nodded his head. "Good. That is a good place to hide."
Another hit rocked the ship. Obi-Wan cursed again and rushed to a hall of the ship, with a slightly confused Qui-Gon after him. "Obi-Wan?" he asked. "What are you doing?"
"I'm taking the top laser turrent! If we don't do something, then we will be blown to bits before we can even see Tatooine!" He turned and climbed up a ladder to the gun turrent. Qui-Gon watched as he climbed, then hopped down to the bottom turrent. He settled into his seat ans put on the headphone com. Obi-Wan was already set up and talking with the pilot.
"You just keep heading towards Tatooine and I'll keep the ships at bay."
The captain sounded uncertain as he replied. "Mr. Jedi, I don't think one turrent is going to keep back that many pirates.
Qui-Gon turned on his com. "That is a go, captain. Head to the planet, we'll take care of them."
"Qui-Gon!" Obi-Wan shouted over the com. "What are you doing?"
"That's kind of obvious, isn't it? I'm helping you."
"Alright, but I think this equipment is a little past your time."
The sound of passing fighter engines and laser fire drowned out Qui-Gon's reply. Obi-Wan cursed and fired at another ship that shot past his station. His com crackled and the pilot's voice sounded panicked. "I have affirmitive ID on fourteen fighters, but there sure looks like there is a lot more!"
"We're trying to count." Qui-Gon answered.
The turrents blared again and the sound of exploding metal was heard from outside the ship. Obi-Wan's voice came through the com, full of static. "However many there are, that's one less."
For the next fifteen minutes, both upper and lower turrents blared almost non-stop. Suddenly, as Obi-Wan fired at a ship, the controls sparked and the handgrips became unbearably hot. Obi-Wan cursed so loud that Qui-Gon didn't need the com to hear him.
"What's wrong up there, Obi-Wan?" he asked.
More cursing came through the com. "The turrent just shorted out. Overheated or something! I can't get it to do anything! I can't *do* anything! Sithspit!"
"Obi-Wan, calm down. The turrent is probably just-"
A curse and laser fire cut Qui-Gon off. Obi-Wan watched helplessly as a ship flew past his port almost casually. It was as if the pilot was mocking him because he couldn't shoot back. *Piece of junk ship, he thought to himself.
"Captain!" Qui-Gon shouted, "my turrent just shorted out as well. We now have no means of defense."
"Oh that's just great! We still have about five minutes until we reach the planet."
"Then kick it into high gear!" Obi-Wan shouted. There was com silence for a few long seconds.
"Captain?" Qui-Gon ventured. "How far would a one-second hyperspace hop take us?"
"Too close to the planet for my liking."
"How close would it bring us?"
"Right in the atmosphere, sir."
"Could you do it?"
"Gee, why don't you just ask me to self-destruct?" the pilot asked sarcastically.
"Will you just do what he asks!" Obi-Wan shouted.
The pilot sounded shaken. "Alright, but I don't know what the odds of survival are." A mere two seconds later, the Jedi felt the jolt of going into hyperspace, only to feel a second jolt right after it. Then the ship began to shake uncontrolably.
"We have ....entered...atmoshpere. With ...... may be able to ..." the pilot's voice broke through the com.
Qui-Gon ripped off his headset and shouted to Obi-Wan. "Get down here and get into a seat!" Qui-Gon began to climb up just as Obi-Wan began to climb down. Qui-Gon reached the deck level first and began to run to a seat, but a huge quiver of the ship nearly dropped him to the floor. He heard a loud thud and a shout of pain, and ran back to the turrent ladders.
Obi-Wan had been climbing down when the ship had shaken, causing him to lose his grip on the ladder rung, and fall down to the lower turrent. He lay stunned on the floor for a moment, laying uncomfortably on the mechanics. He was also bleeding from a gash on his head.
"Obi-Wan!" Qui-Gon shouted down the ladder.
The reply was a groggy, "Huh?"
"Are you alright? Can you climb back up?"
"Uh...yeah." Obi-Wan groaned and lifted himself to his feet. He was mumbling something incoherant as he slowly and unsteadily climbed up the ladder. He was almost to the top when the ship suddenly gave another lurch. Obi-Wan lost his grip again, and would have fallen had Qui-Gon not grasped his arm. The Jedi pulled him up and placed his hands on the teenager's shoulders. Obi-Wan still seemed dazed, and the bleeding had not even begun to stop yet. He steered the youth over to a seat and secured his crash webbing. Obi-Wan looked like the blow to his head was going to cause him to lose consiousness. Qui-Gon squeezed his shoulder. Then he turned and rushed down the hall to the Ikuos' sleeping quarters. He opened the door, and was nearly bowled over by a frantic Tela.
He grasped her arm and looked past her into the room. The girl's mother was trying unsteadily to walk over to the door.
"Hurry!" Qui-Gon shouted. "We must get you into crash webbing!"
"I am trying to get to you! But the ship keeps moving!" she shouted back.
"Omigosh!" Tela was screeching. "We're gonna die! We're all gonna die!" She tried to free herself from Qui-Gon's grasp, but he held on tight.
"Calm yourself! You will only die if you panic!" he shouted. Tela quieted, but the fear still had a firm grasp on her mind. Qui-Gon reached out and grabbed her mother's arm and pulled her out into the hall. Then he practically pushed them out to the room where the seats were. He secured a still frantic Tela in a seat while her mother secured herself.
Tela glanced over at Obi-Wan, who by now had lost consiousness with his head fallen to his chest, and screamed. "Omigosh! Oh! Obi-Wan's dead! He's dead! We are going to die!"
Qui-Gon secured his crash webbing about his shoulders then turned to her. "He's not dead! Now sit back and brace yourself!"
The overhead com crackled to life. "This is your captain. Our landing gear is shot, so we are going to have to make an emergency crash landing. I hope everybody back there is in a seat, because we're hitting hard!"
The ship shook once more, but then stilled. The still was eerie; the still before the storm. And the storm came soon enough. Only a moment after clearing the atmosphere, the half-dead ship began to plummet to the sandy earth. A moment after that, it hit the ground with tremendous force. Qui-Gon remembered feeling the shock of contact, pain in his head, then nothing.
Tela groaned as she woke up. Pushing pieces of supplies that had originally been secured on shelves off of her, she undid her crash webbing. She slid out of her seat and looked around. Her mother was in her seat, still out. Qui-Gon, also, was in his chair and still out. Obi-Wan, however, was awake and was clumsily undoing his crash webbing. The blood from the gash on his head had flowed down his face, giving him a ghastly look. His eyes met Tela's for a second, but he stood out of his seat and went straight to his Master.
"Master. Master." He shook Qui-Gon's shoulder. The large Jedi groaned and opened his eyes. He looked around, bewildered for a moment before turning back to his Padawan.
"Good, Obi-Wan. Now go see to the mother while I get out of this webbing."
Obi-Wan nodded and moved past fallen supplies to get to Terra. He shook her shoulder gently, not wanting her to be startled awake. She slowly opened her eyes. She studied Obi-Wan's face for a moment before freaking out. She was screeching incoherantly, flailing her hands at the young Jedi. He had to duck and dodge to avoid having a limb amputated by her long nails. Finally he got behind her and held her arms. "Calm down." he commanded softly, letting the Force carry the message.
She did calm, and stopped trying to kill him. She sunk to the floor and began to cry. Tela rushed to her mother and held her. Terra continued to cry, and Obi-Wan was able to understand a little of what she was saying. "Knew it. I knew it. They came after us. We're not safe."
Obi-Wan turned away to find Qui-Gon standing directly in front of him. The Jedi put a hand on his shoulder. "Are you alright, Obi-Wan?"
Obi-Wan nodded. "Yeah. Just a little dizzy."
"That was some blow you took to the head."
"Blow? When did I hit my head?" Obi-Wan reached up and touched his forehead. His hand came back crimson red. "Huh," he said, not the least bit alarmed. "I guess I did hit it." Then he looked toward the door that lead to the cockpit. "We should see if they're alright."
Qui-Gon frowned but nodded. Maybe Obi-Wan had spent a little too much time around Qui-Gon; he wasn't worried about his own health at all. He would have to check it soon.
Obi-Wan pushed fallen supplies out of the way, muttering complaints the whole way to the cockpit. He pushed open the door, revealing a cockpit pretty much intact. The pilot was unconsious, but the Bothan co-pilot was already checking systems. Obi-Wan walked up beside the pilot and shook his shoulder, saying, "Sir, sir wake up. You need to wake up."
It took awhile, but finally the pilot awoke from his 'slumber'. He shook his head a few times before undoing his crash webbing. He cursed at the predicament he was in, then began to check systems the co-pilot had already checked. The co-pilot stared at him blankly for a while before turning completely to him.
"I already checked that, sir."
The pilot turned and looked at him as if he had never seen him before. "Oh? Well, uh...that's good. Saves time." The pilot stood up shakily and made his way to the back, clapping Obi-Wan on the shoulder once, saying, "Good chap. Got us out of that one, we did." Then he walked into the passenger area of the ship, leaving behind a scared co-pilot and a confused Obi-Wan. Obi-Wan frowned and followed the pilot.
He found him standing by a seat, with one hand placed regally on the top, as if he were some heir to a local monarchy. He turned to the young Jedi. "Are we there yet, young chap?"
Obi-Wan's frown deepened. "What?"
The pilot repeated himself, slowly, pronouncing each word forcefully. "Are...we...there...yet?"
"Are we where?"
"Tagamia, chap! Where have you been?"
*The question is more like, where are you?* Obi-Wan thought. "Don't you remember? We were attacked by pirates in space, so we had to crash land on Tatooine."
The captain looked at him blankly. "Pirates? Tatooine? I thought we were on a private cruise to Tagamia." He turned to a viewport and scratched his head.
Obi-Wan grimaced and turned to Qui-Gon, who was standing behind him. "I think his brain is fried. He must have banged it up pretty bad."
Qui-Gon nodded. "And we can't get off of this planet without a pilot."
"Hey! I'm still here!" a voice shouted from behind them. They turned to see the Bothan standing in a doorway. "I am trained to fly the ship, you know."
Qui-Gon turned to him. "Yes I know that. I'm sure you are perfectly capable. I only meant that we will need a co-pilot to get the ship off the ground."
"If we haven't sustained any damage, you mean."
"Right." Qui-Gon turned to Obi-Wan. "I'm going to help him run diagnostics on the ship to see what is wrong. You stay here and watch over Terra and Tela."
Obi-Wan nodded. "Yes, Master."
Qui-Gon nodded his head and walked past the Padawan to the rear of the ship. He tore a loose panel from the wall and began to inspect the wires. He pulled a small computer from his pocket and attached a few wires in their designated spots. He frowned when he saw the results. He walked quickly back to the main room where his Padawan was sitting with their charges. Obi-Wan looked up as he walked in.
Qui-Gon guestured for Obi-Wan to come to him, which he did. "We have a problem."
"What else is new?" the youth quipped.
"The hyperdrive is unstable."
Obi-Wan's calm expression faded into one of fear. An unstable hyperdrive could mean that it could blow at any time. And hyperdrives carry a lot of energy. "What are we going to do about that?"
Qui-Gon shook his head. "I don't know, Obi-Wan."
Obi-Wan was quiet for a moment. "We should get off of the ship. We could find some board nearby, if there is anything on this foresaken planet. Then we can find a settlement nearby and find some parts. I know I can fix the hyperdrive, Master."
Qui-Gon's frowned deepend. It wasn't that he doubted Obi-Wan's mechanical abilities-- he knew that the boy could fix it-- he just didn't like the idea of Obi-Wan being near an unstable hyperdrive. "We don't even know if there is any place we can stay at in this area."
"Well here," Obi-Wan said as he sat at a map computer. He punched in a few keys, and suddenly a map of the planet appeared on the screen. "This is where we are," the teenage pointed to a small red dot. "And this is where the computer picks up lifeforms," he pointed to a cluster of green dots. The Padawan looked up at Qui-Gon, "It's only a few miles away. We could make it there before the suns set."
"Suns?" Tela asked suddenly, looking at Obi-Wan as if he were stupid.
"Yes, suns. This planet has two." Obi-Wan said, more than slightly annoyed.
Tela frowned at sat down with her mother. * I can't wait to get rid of her, *Obi-Wan thought.
Qui-Gon pointed to the cluster of green. "Are you sure that this is a permanent settlement and not a group of Tusken Raiders?"
"What are Tusken Raiders?"
"Nomadic peoples. Very dangerous to strangers."
Obi-Wan pushed a few more buttons. The screen flickered, but the green cluster remained. "I put it in to look for mechanical things too. It still shows this one."
Qui-Gon nodded and clapped Obi-Wan on the shoulder. "Good work, young Padawan. We will travel there as soon as we can."
"I don't want to go anywhere!" Terra suddenly shouted.
Qui-Gon turned to her with a menacing look. "Would you rather stay here with a hyperdrive that could blow at any moment?"
Terra paled. "The hyperdrive is unstable?"
"Yes. Now get ready to travel. And I suggest you change into something that will not make you look rich."
"Uh, Master?" Obi-Wan ventured. Qui-Gon turned to him. "Does this mean that we can change out of these horrid uniforms?" Obi-Wan asked, pulling at the collar of the uniform he had been forced to wear.
Qui-Gon grinned. "Yes. Go ahead and put on a tunic, but add a poncho."
"Yes, Master."