Several hours later, Obi-Wan had still not returned. Leia was stretched out
on one of the couches, resting but trying to stay awake as Luke paced
around nervously. "I wonder what's keeping him," he muttered.
"Maybe his ship was farther away than he thought," Leia said sleepily, barely keeping her eyes open.
"I don't know," Luke murmured. "Something doesn't feel right."
Up in the cockpit, Han was showing Indy the various controls on the Falcon, happy for once to have someone who didn't find it boring. He had already given Indy one of his old blasters and instructed him on how to use it on various power settings. Inside the Falcon, the rule was that blasters were always kept on stun. The ship was fragile enough as it was.
"So this navi-computer," Indy said, pointing to the blue screen. "Does it have coordinates for every planet?"
"Every one that's been discovered," Han replied.
"And how many is that?"
"Oh, who knows? Maybe hundreds of thousands."
Indy raised his eyebrows in surprise. "And being in a different time. that didn't effect it any?"
Han frowned. "It doesn't seem to have. I mean, it's still the same galaxy after all."
"But what about when you went through to my galaxy or universe?"
"Uh, well." Han didn't want to admit that he had no idea. Just then, however, they heard the noise of someone entering the rear compartment. Grateful for the distraction, Han got up and lead the way to the back.
"Looks like your friend's back," Indy commented as Obi-Wan stepped inside, somewhat winded, and closed the door.
"He is not my friend," Han ground out.
"Obi-Wan!" Luke exclaimed. "Where have you been? Are you all right?"
Leia sat up rather groggily and rubbed her eyes. "What took so long?"
"I went to my ship to pick up some of my supplies and mission log," He set a small bag on the floor. "But on the way back, I saw the assassin from earlier today. I followed him for a while and found the location of their hideout. Fortunately, I don't think I was seen. But we have to act immediately- they could carry out their plans at anytime." He stopped and looked to Luke. "That is, if you would help me."
Nodding, Luke said, "Yes, we've all decided to help you." He gave Han a pointed glance which was answered with a roll of the eyes. "Do you need all of us?"
Obi-Wan overlooked the group hesitantly. He needed Luke's help and Leia's would be appreciated, but he wasn't sure about the other two. They weren't Jedi and he had a harm time trusting anyone who wasn't a Jedi to help him. "Well, I'm not sure we all have to go." he said carefully.
"That's fine," Han replied. "I'm perfectly okay with staying here." He tried to ignore Leia's scowl.
"Well I'll go," Indy offered. He wanted to help for Leia's sake, and he also wanted to get out of the Falcon and explore this strange world while he could.
Not to be outdone, Han added, "But I guess I should go too." He locked eyes with Obi-Wan, and could see that the young Jedi was skeptical of him. That only made him more determined to help out.
"All right," Obi-Wan conceded. "We'll all go. Follow me."
******
The site of the renegade hideout was out in Alderaan's grassy open plains. There was little cover, so Obi-Wan and Luke had used the Force to provide as much stealth as possible to the small group as they snuck through the tall grass. When they came upon a small clearing, Obi-Wan motioned for everyone to get down quietly at the edge of the clearing.
There was a crunch, loud in the silence, and Obi-Wan wheeled to see Han with a 'who, me?' look on his face. He shot him a glare, and was met with one in return. To Luke, he said in a whisper, "This is the place. It's under this clearing, in the ground."
Nodding, Luke asked, "How did they get in?"
"There are two concealed tunnels on either side of this clearing. I thought we should split up and go in both ways so that they don't escape," Obi-Wan suggested.
"Sounds like a good idea," Luke said.
"Wait," Leia interrupted. "What if they have some other exit? Shouldn't one of us stay out here?"
"That would be wise," Obi-Wan reflected. He looked over his companions. Not knowing what was inside, he felt more comfortable with himself and the other Jedi going in. However, he wasn't sure he trusted the other men to stay outside without bolting or falling asleep. "Leia, do you think you can handle it?" he asked. She was, after all, a padawan and she seemed reliable.
Leia wasn't as confident in her Force abilities as Obi-Wan was- she had only been training for about a month. Still, she had her lightsabre with her. it was a slim chance that anyone would escape from the hideout anyway, so it would probably be safer out here, she reasoned. "Sure," she answered confidently.
Obi-Wan nodded. "Then what we'll do is." He was about to continue explaining his plan, when he remembered that there was a Jedi Master present. Slightly embarrassed, he said, "Master Luke, what do you think would be the best course of action?"
"How many times do I have to ask you to just call me Luke? Please, consider me your equal," he insisted. "This is your mission; we're just here to help you."
"Right," Obi-Wan said. The truth was, he was a little uneasy, though he would never show it. An investigative mission was one thing, but now it had gotten more serious and he was a little nervous at being put in charge. Mustering his confidence, he said, "Indy and I will go to the entrance on the other side. You and Han stay here and go through this entrance at the same time." The slightly older Jedi nodded, and he assumed Luke could sense where the hidden entrance was. Obi-Wan turned to Indy, "Come with me, quietly." The two crept through the tall grass around the perimeter, careful not to walk quietly.
"You're sure this is a good idea? Going in someplace we've never been, where we don't know what's on the other side of those doors?" Han whispered to Luke.
"Obi-Wan wouldn't do it if he didn't think we'd be okay," Luke assured him.
Han exchanged glances with Leia, then replied, "Yeah, but you gotta remember, this guy's younger than you even. He's not the same as when you knew him."
Luke gave Han a steady look. "Obi-Wan is a great Jedi. Don't you trust him?"
"Oh yeah," Han snorted. "Completely."
From across the clearing, Obi-Wan signaled to Luke, getting his attention. Then he ignited his blue lightsabre, and Luke ignited his green one. They both began to burn through the trap doors in the ground while the others waited behind them. When the thin metal had melted away, Obi-Wan looked up to Luke. He nodded back, and the two simultaneously jumped inside. Indy, blaster in hand, quickly dropped in behind Obi-Wan.
Han pulled out his own blaster, shot Leia a worried look and mumbled, "Here goes nothing." He jumped into the darkness after Luke.
"Maybe his ship was farther away than he thought," Leia said sleepily, barely keeping her eyes open.
"I don't know," Luke murmured. "Something doesn't feel right."
Up in the cockpit, Han was showing Indy the various controls on the Falcon, happy for once to have someone who didn't find it boring. He had already given Indy one of his old blasters and instructed him on how to use it on various power settings. Inside the Falcon, the rule was that blasters were always kept on stun. The ship was fragile enough as it was.
"So this navi-computer," Indy said, pointing to the blue screen. "Does it have coordinates for every planet?"
"Every one that's been discovered," Han replied.
"And how many is that?"
"Oh, who knows? Maybe hundreds of thousands."
Indy raised his eyebrows in surprise. "And being in a different time. that didn't effect it any?"
Han frowned. "It doesn't seem to have. I mean, it's still the same galaxy after all."
"But what about when you went through to my galaxy or universe?"
"Uh, well." Han didn't want to admit that he had no idea. Just then, however, they heard the noise of someone entering the rear compartment. Grateful for the distraction, Han got up and lead the way to the back.
"Looks like your friend's back," Indy commented as Obi-Wan stepped inside, somewhat winded, and closed the door.
"He is not my friend," Han ground out.
"Obi-Wan!" Luke exclaimed. "Where have you been? Are you all right?"
Leia sat up rather groggily and rubbed her eyes. "What took so long?"
"I went to my ship to pick up some of my supplies and mission log," He set a small bag on the floor. "But on the way back, I saw the assassin from earlier today. I followed him for a while and found the location of their hideout. Fortunately, I don't think I was seen. But we have to act immediately- they could carry out their plans at anytime." He stopped and looked to Luke. "That is, if you would help me."
Nodding, Luke said, "Yes, we've all decided to help you." He gave Han a pointed glance which was answered with a roll of the eyes. "Do you need all of us?"
Obi-Wan overlooked the group hesitantly. He needed Luke's help and Leia's would be appreciated, but he wasn't sure about the other two. They weren't Jedi and he had a harm time trusting anyone who wasn't a Jedi to help him. "Well, I'm not sure we all have to go." he said carefully.
"That's fine," Han replied. "I'm perfectly okay with staying here." He tried to ignore Leia's scowl.
"Well I'll go," Indy offered. He wanted to help for Leia's sake, and he also wanted to get out of the Falcon and explore this strange world while he could.
Not to be outdone, Han added, "But I guess I should go too." He locked eyes with Obi-Wan, and could see that the young Jedi was skeptical of him. That only made him more determined to help out.
"All right," Obi-Wan conceded. "We'll all go. Follow me."
******
The site of the renegade hideout was out in Alderaan's grassy open plains. There was little cover, so Obi-Wan and Luke had used the Force to provide as much stealth as possible to the small group as they snuck through the tall grass. When they came upon a small clearing, Obi-Wan motioned for everyone to get down quietly at the edge of the clearing.
There was a crunch, loud in the silence, and Obi-Wan wheeled to see Han with a 'who, me?' look on his face. He shot him a glare, and was met with one in return. To Luke, he said in a whisper, "This is the place. It's under this clearing, in the ground."
Nodding, Luke asked, "How did they get in?"
"There are two concealed tunnels on either side of this clearing. I thought we should split up and go in both ways so that they don't escape," Obi-Wan suggested.
"Sounds like a good idea," Luke said.
"Wait," Leia interrupted. "What if they have some other exit? Shouldn't one of us stay out here?"
"That would be wise," Obi-Wan reflected. He looked over his companions. Not knowing what was inside, he felt more comfortable with himself and the other Jedi going in. However, he wasn't sure he trusted the other men to stay outside without bolting or falling asleep. "Leia, do you think you can handle it?" he asked. She was, after all, a padawan and she seemed reliable.
Leia wasn't as confident in her Force abilities as Obi-Wan was- she had only been training for about a month. Still, she had her lightsabre with her. it was a slim chance that anyone would escape from the hideout anyway, so it would probably be safer out here, she reasoned. "Sure," she answered confidently.
Obi-Wan nodded. "Then what we'll do is." He was about to continue explaining his plan, when he remembered that there was a Jedi Master present. Slightly embarrassed, he said, "Master Luke, what do you think would be the best course of action?"
"How many times do I have to ask you to just call me Luke? Please, consider me your equal," he insisted. "This is your mission; we're just here to help you."
"Right," Obi-Wan said. The truth was, he was a little uneasy, though he would never show it. An investigative mission was one thing, but now it had gotten more serious and he was a little nervous at being put in charge. Mustering his confidence, he said, "Indy and I will go to the entrance on the other side. You and Han stay here and go through this entrance at the same time." The slightly older Jedi nodded, and he assumed Luke could sense where the hidden entrance was. Obi-Wan turned to Indy, "Come with me, quietly." The two crept through the tall grass around the perimeter, careful not to walk quietly.
"You're sure this is a good idea? Going in someplace we've never been, where we don't know what's on the other side of those doors?" Han whispered to Luke.
"Obi-Wan wouldn't do it if he didn't think we'd be okay," Luke assured him.
Han exchanged glances with Leia, then replied, "Yeah, but you gotta remember, this guy's younger than you even. He's not the same as when you knew him."
Luke gave Han a steady look. "Obi-Wan is a great Jedi. Don't you trust him?"
"Oh yeah," Han snorted. "Completely."
From across the clearing, Obi-Wan signaled to Luke, getting his attention. Then he ignited his blue lightsabre, and Luke ignited his green one. They both began to burn through the trap doors in the ground while the others waited behind them. When the thin metal had melted away, Obi-Wan looked up to Luke. He nodded back, and the two simultaneously jumped inside. Indy, blaster in hand, quickly dropped in behind Obi-Wan.
Han pulled out his own blaster, shot Leia a worried look and mumbled, "Here goes nothing." He jumped into the darkness after Luke.