Thank you guys for your comments and criticism. Again, this is a "light" story, not meant to be of epic meaning or anything, so no worries. ;)

I just finished my latest story, a fairly mild slash piece, and I'm wondering what to do with it. Does slash get a lot of flames here?

And don't forget . . . ROTS is coming out on Thursday! Happy viewing everyone.

Chapter 3

"So, where are we headed?" Obi-Wan asked as he followed Anakin down the corridor. He tried to put the child down, only to find her arms tightly clenched around his neck.

"Room D-1034. I need to get some files from the terminals there before I can head to the exit." he explained, turning to Obi-Wan. Seeing his Master's predicament, he snickered. "She certainly is attached to you, Master."

Obi-Wan shot him a half-hearted glare and spoke in quiet tones to the child, "Don't you want to get down, little one?" She only shook her head and hid her face in hid robe. Obi-Wan sighed and rubbed her back soothingly.

Abruptly, Anakin stopped in front of a closed door. "This is it," he breathed. "Now to figure out how to get in . . ." Realizing that he had no tool kit, Anakin was stumped. It looked like he'd have to do this the hard way. Bracing himself, he tried for several minutes to pry the door open, but to no avail. Throwing up his hands in frustration, he glared at the door. "Maybe--"

He cut off abruptly as the door swooshed open. Obi-Wan removed his palm from the lock, smiling slightly at his apprentice.

"Oh . . . it wasn't locked." he said, reddening slightly in embarrassment. "Ah, thanks."

They entered the room and the door closed behind them. Anakin strode over to one of the terminals and began searching for the needed data files. Obi-Wan sat down and watched, the little girl in his lap still firmly attached to his neck.

"Got it!" Anakin exclaimed, switching the terminal off and pocketing the data pad. "Let's go." He left the room swiftly, Obi-Wan and child in tow.

They didn't get far, though. Rounding a corner, Anakin jerked back so abruptly that Obi-Wan nearly ran into him.

"What is it?" Obi-Wan said quietly, leaning close as he tried to peer around his over-grown apprentice.

"There's two men, both armed." he hissed, pushing Obi-Wan back against the wall. "And they don't look like Jedi."

"Perhaps they're the surprise element, then? Its possible that this child really has just gotten lost." Obi-Wan pondered.

"I suppose," Anakin replied uncertainly. "What should we do?"

"Don't look at me," he said, raising an eyebrow, "I'm just a hostage, remember?"

"And a difficult one at that." he retorted. "But just you watch, Master, I can handle this."

"I don't doubt it." Obi-Wan replied dryly.

Anakin glanced across the corridor at the portal that lead to the neighboring section, and then turned to Obi-Wan, trusting that his Master would figure out what he was doing. "Follow my lead."

"Do I have a choice?" he drawled in reply as he watched his apprentice leap around the corner, his mock 'saber drawn.

As Anakin engaged the unknown men, Obi-Wan darted across the corridor, still carrying the child. He hissed as a sharp pain shot through his shoulder. Ducking into the doorway's alcove, he quickly keyed it open. Looking down at his shoulder, he was shocked to see that he was bleeding.

"Anakin!" he called, motioning him over. Anakin seemed to be enjoying himself as he flipped and dodged the blaster bolts, dangerously unaware that the bolts were real.

Obi-Wan mentally cursed, berating Anakin's lust for excitement and his own inability to curb it. "Padawan!" he yelled again. "Here, now!"

Not even sparing Obi-Wan a glance, Anakin dropped into defensive mode and dove for the doorway. Once he was inside, Obi-Wan closed it immediately. The sound of pounding on the door echoed through the quiet corridor for a moment, and then stopped. The child, previously silent, started to cry softly into Obi-Wan's uninjured shoulder.

"What was that about?" Anakin turned on Obi-Wan, annoyed. "You never let me have any fun, even when --"

"Anakin!" Obi-Wan cut him off sharply. "You may not have noticed, but those blasters were real. You could have been killed, being so careless."

"Real?" he said incredulously. "That's ridiculous -- " he stopped abruptly as he noticed the large red stain on Obi-Wan's shoulder. "Master, you're hurt!" he exclaimed.

"Yes, that's how I found out." he said wryly. "It's not serious."

"Maybe not, but all that blood can't be good." he said worriedly. "Let me help." Prying the child from Obi-Wan's neck, he set her down and pulled Obi-Wan's tunic down at the shoulder. He removed his sash and quickly fashioned a make-shift bandage.

"There." he said, satisfied. "Master, what should we do? We have to tell someone!"

"If I recall, this entire level has been pretty much sealed off for the duration of the exercise, so we should just continue on to your specified exit. I doubt we'd be able to find a faster alternate." Obi-Wan pondered.

"Yes, Master." Anakin agreed. Anakin pointed to the corridor to the left and said, "That way."

Obi-Wan grabbed the child by the hand and pulled her along after Anakin, speaking to her in low, soothing tones.

A short while later they had nearly reached the outermost section of the level, and Anakin couldn't wait to reach the exit. Obi-Wan was looking rather pale from his injury, and the child's soft but incessant whimpering was getting on his nerves.

Cautiously peering around the corner to the corridor that led to the last section, Anakin grinned as he saw it was deserted. Motioning Obi-Wan and the child ahead, Anakin made to follow them but stopped dead when he felt a whoosh of air behind him.

ooOooOoo

One more chapter to go!