Chapter 17 Boba in Top Form & The Perrins

Boba collapsed in the middle of the hallway, curled up in a ball, and moaned in pain. An attendant rushed over as the Clone bent down in concern, "What's wrong with him?" He asked.

"I don't know; he woke up this morning complaining that his stomach hurt and it just got steadily worse so I thought I had better bring him here." The Clone explained.

"Is he your brother?" The attendant asked.

"Yes, will he be alright?" The Clone asked.

"Well, you bring him in here and I'll have a doctor come and examine him." The attendant answered.

"Come on, Boba; we're going to have the doc look you over." The Clone said as he pulled Boba to his feet, helped him follow the attendant into an exam room and onto the examination table.

"Wait here and I will send a doctor in as soon as one is available." The attendant told them.

"How long will it be? My brother is in a lot of pain." The Clone asked.

"We are very busy here today; it will probably be at least twenty minutes." The attendant replied, "But if he gets any worse, send for me and I will try to find a doctor sooner."

"Thanks." The Clone said as the attendant closed the door.

"Heh, heh, heh, that worked pretty good; didn't it." Boba said as he hopped off the table.

"Well, you have twenty minutes; you had best get started." The Clone replied.

As Boba had hoped, the hospital did, at least, have some kind of computer system; antiquated and slow, but still useful for his purposes and accessible from the exam rooms.

"Alright, talk to me." Boba said as he began to press buttons on the keyboard. "Come on, come on; this thing is so slow."

When he finally got the screen he was looking for, he typed in the word 'abomination' and was quickly rewarded. A file appeared listing the name of the scientist who had developed the drug and a listing of test results, "Oh, now this is interesting. It says here that the drug is only temporarily effective on offworlders, but after several doses, the result is the permanent disappearance of the mutation in Belaridians. Master Kenobi will be very interested in this, heh, heh." He told the Clone.

"Well, print out what you need to so we can get out of here." The Clone urged.

"Oh, yeah, right." Boba said and hit the print button; the printers here were as primitive as the computer system and printed the report line by line. "Come on."

After an excruciatingly long amount of time, the printer finally spat out it's last page. Boba grabbed them, folded them up and stuffed them in the waist of his pants, "Done; now let's go." He said.

The Clone peeked out into the hall and then signaled to Boba that the coast was clear and they could leave.

They were halfway to the exit when they heard the attendant calling after them. The Clone turned to see the attendant rushing toward them.

"Wait, wait; I'm sorry I couldn't find a doctor sooner; you're not leaving are you? You're not going to that other hospital? I can find a doctor now, if you like." The attendant said, pleadingly.

"No, I'm feeling much better now; I don't think I need to see a doctor after all." Boba replied, smiling convincingly.

"Oh, but you were in agony before; how could you get better so quickly?" The attendant asked.

"I don't know; all I know is that I don't feel sick anymore." Boba answered.

"Are you sure you don't want a doctor to check you out?" The attendant asked.

"Quite sure; have a good day." Boba said and started to walk away.

"Well, alright; but if you start to feel ill again, be sure to come back here." The attendant replied.

"I will, I promise." Boba vowed, and then under his breath added, "But not in my lifetime, heh, heh, heh."

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"Master Kenobi, Servus Perrin and his wife are up top; what do you want them to do?" One of the Clones asked.

"I will go up and talk to them;" Obi-Wan replied, "Zak, do you want to come with me or stay here?"

"I don't want to ever see them again…no, I'll go." Zak answered.

"Are you sure? You don't have to." Obi-Wan told him.

"Yes, I do, Master." Zak said firmly.

"That is very brave, Padawan." Obi-Wan replied.

"It's necessary." Zak said, leaning down to pick up his crutches and then pulling himself to his feet.

"And it's wise of you to understand that." Obi-Wan answered as he started to walk to the base of the outcrop.

A clone was standing by the lines that had brought them down, "Who's up top with them?" Obi-Wan asked.

"Commander Cody, sir." The Clone answered.

Obi-Wan glanced over at Anakin, "Will you be alright down here?" "Yes."

Having gotten that confirmation, Obi-Wan squatted down, "Put your hands around my neck, Zak." He instructed.

"What about these?" Zak questioned, indicating his crutches.

"Here, I'll take them." Obi-Wan said.

Zak moved behind Obi-Wan and then handed them over. Obi-Wan slipped them over his arm as Zak put his hands around his master's neck, "Ready, Padawan?" He asked.

"Ready, Master." Zak replied.

"Alright, hold on, here we go." Obi-Wan said, triggering the switch so that the line retracted, pulling them upwards.

When they reached the top, Cody bent down to pull Zak up so that Obi-Wan could climb over the ledge. He handed Zak his crutches and turned to face the couple waiting for him. Servus stood stone-faced next to his wife; Sala was clearly angry as she glared, hatefully, at her son.

"Where's Terak?" Obi-Wan asked.

"He didn't want to come." Servus answered.

"No, I imagine he didn't; but I want him here." Obi-Wan replied.

"Why don't you people just leave us alone?" Sala demanded angrily, "We just want to be left alone."

"Well, you have made that a little difficult, haven't you?" Obi-Wan said.

"We haven't done anything." Servus claimed.

"No? I think Zak is living proof that you have." Obi-Wan answered.

"We didn't do anything to the boy." Servus replied, defensively.

"You haven't, but Terak has. Now, where is he?" Obi-Wan demanded.

"Who said Terak did it; that boy? He's lying." Sala said.

"Oh, I don't think so. He was pushed by your son; you know this and you are protecting him." Obi-Wan maintained.

"I just want to know why you hate me. I have never done anything to you; I don't want anything." Zak asked suddenly.

"You were born, boy; and then you had the nerve to come back here." Sala told him, venomously. "And now you have caused a lot of trouble."

"I didn't ask to be born; and I came back here because I needed to meet you, that's all. I didn't plan on staying; Master Obi-Wan and I were going to leave that morning." Zak replied, "All you had to do was wait."

"What happened to you was just what you deserved. Terak should have finished the job." Sala said.

"Sala!" Servus exclaimed.

"What? Terak was within his rights; the law says…" Sala started.

"That law is not valid; Belarid is part of the Republic, and murder is a crime." Obi-Wan stated, cutting her off.

"Sala, why didn't you just keep quiet?" Servus asked.

"It would not have mattered; I already knew the truth." Obi-Wan said with distaste. "And we have uncovered your killing field. You knew about it, didn't you."

The couple just looked at each other and remained silent.

"How many of the younglings buried down there did you know?"

Silence.

"Were they your neighbors' children?"

Silence.

"Did you help bury them down there?"

Silence.

"Did you help kill them?"

"No, they were already dead." Servus confessed, "At least the ones we buried."

Obi-Wan was shocked into silence.

"Is that what you would have done to me?" Zak asked.

Sala looked down at the ground and Servus looked away.

"Is it?" Zak demanded.

"Yes." Servus answered.

"How long?" Obi-Wan asked, finally finding his voice, "How long have you been…"

"Always, it's always been the place. Since before we born, before our parents and even our grandparents were born. The abominations have always been put down there." Servus explained.

"All of them?" Obi-Wan asked.

"Yes, as far as I know." Servus answered.

"Zak? Can you ask them if they know if there are any of the others in different places?" Obi-Wan asked.

"Ask who?" Servus asked.

"Be quiet." Obi-Wan ordered.

Zak nodded, and closed his eyes; after a few moments he opened them, "No, this is the only place; many have already been freed." He said.

"Freed how, Padawan?" Obi-Wan asked.

"When their bodies became one with the ground, then they left." Zak replied.

"What are you talking about?" Sala asked. "They're all dead down there."

"Their bodies are dead, but their consciousnesses are still there; and they will be until we are able to set them free." Obi-Wan told her.

"You're making that up." Sala scoffed. "Dead is dead."

"Really? Maybe you should let your son show you that you're wrong." Obi-Wan replied.

"Master?"

Sala took a step back and held her hands up defensively, "No, I don't want that little freak to touch me." She said.

"What are you afraid of? Don't you want to hear the voices of all those murdered younglings trapped down there? What is it, Sala?" Obi-Wan asked.

"Stop it, stop it. Why don't you just leave her alone?" Servus pleaded as he took his wife, who was now weeping, into his arms.

"It is too late for that." Obi-Wan answered as he turned away, "Come, Padawan; we have work to do."

Zak looked at his parents one last time, "I'm sorry for you." He said.

"Cody, keep these two here until I send two of your men up; then have them take you to their son." Obi-Wan ordered.

"Yes, General; and what should we do with him when we find him?" Cody asked.

"Arrest him for attempted murder." Obi-Wan answered, looking over at Zak's parents.

"Yes, sir." Cody answered.

When they arrived back down, Anakin was supervising the recording of the whole field with the desiccated bodies and bones in place. Then all that would be left to do was to release the others so that they could finally become one with the Force. Zak returned to his rock and sat down to watch, knowing that he was not physically capable of helping them.

"How is it going?" Obi-Wan asked.

Anakin sighed, "We're nearly finished…there are so many of them, Obi-Wan." He replied.

"I know; Servus said they are all here." Obi-Wan answered.

"All? But surely not a thousand years' worth?" Anakin questioned.

"After a few hundred years, the bodies disintegrate completely; so for many of them, there will be nothing left to find." Obi-Wan said.

"Then what will happen to the ones who don't have bodies to burn?" Anakin asked.

"Zak says they are already gone. He says once the body is gone the Force sense is free." Obi-Wan informed him.

"Well, I guess that's….good news." Anakin answered with little enthusiasm.

Obi-Wan put a hand on Anakin's shoulder, "I'm sorry, brother; this isn't easy for me either." He said.

"I know; it's just that I keep thinking of my children; some of these younglings are not much older than them." Anakin replied, emotionally.

"I know." Obi-Wan answered quietly.

At last, the recordings had been made and Obi-Wan declared that it was time. He stooped down and carefully picked up the skeletal remains of the nearest youngling and felt…WOOOSH, as something brushed by him, Did you feel that?" He asked.

"Yes." Anakin answered as he picked up a mummified youngling, WOOOSH.

"It's them." Zak said from his place, "They are thanking you."

They continued their work with the Clones assistance, and each time one was moved, they felt that youngling's Force sense brush them. However, as they worked, something else was growing stronger; the Dark presence was stirring. "Anakin?" "Yes, I feel it, too." "It feels…" "Angry." "Yes."