Chapter 5 A Deadly Ascent
Boba joined them in the company of Gemma and Breha; breakfast was served on the sideboard and they helped themselves to whatever they wished to eat. When they had finished they ventured into the entrance hall, and gathered their outerwear. Breha knelt down in front of Boba, "You be careful." She said, adjusting the collar of his jacket.
"I will, stop fussing; jeez." Boba replied as he tried to squirm away from her.
She finished without hurrying and stood up, "I just want you to come back in one piece, that's all." She told him.
Boba gave her a reassuring smile, "I will, don't worry." He promised, "I'm very good at keeping myself in one piece."
Bail smiled, "We know you are, Boba; but sometimes we forget. It is just that we have grown rather used to you being around here and Gemma would miss you terribly." He answered.
Boba looked at the floor and shuffled his feet, "I know; I kinda like it here too. I'll be alright, I promise." He replied.
"Well, let's get going." Obi-Wan said as he guided Zak out the door.
Boba followed them out, relieved for having a reason to escape from his uncomfortable situation; he still was not used to having a mother, and Breha was trying to fill that position in his life, something he was not quite ready for. He did not look back as they made their way across the front garden heading toward the path that wound partway up into the Heights.
"She's still watching you, you know." Zak said, walking beside him.
"That figures; she's trying to be my mother." Boba replied gruffly.
"What's wrong with that?" Zak asked.
"I don't need a mother; I did just fine without one for the first fourteen years of my life, what do I need one for now?" Boba answered.
"At least you have a choice." Zak murmured as the image of his own loveless mother entered his mind.
"Well, you're welcome to Lady Breha if you want her. Come on, this way." Boba said, moving ahead of Zak and leading the way toward the path up to the higher reaches.
Zak sighed and shook his head; Obi-Wan patted his shoulder, "You must not expect him to change all at once. He will come around, but it will take a little more time." He assured him.
"I know, Master." Zak replied.
After about twenty minutes, Boba called them to a halt, and pointed to a rugged path leading gradually upwards, "This is it; I have to warn you, the air here gets very thin very fast once we round that bend there, the incline gets real steep." He informed them, "And then it will start to get colder."
"Alright, consider us warned and lead on, Boba." Obi-Wan replied.
Boba nodded and started up the path with Zak and Obi-Wan on his heels. When they reached the place where it became steeper, Boba stopped again to fasten the front of his coat and then pulled a pair of gloves and a hat from his pocket and put them on. Zak and Obi-Wan followed his example and when they were all ready, began the climb up to the Heights. Another twenty minutes brought them to the end of the path; in front of them, was a rough rock wall.
"From here, we climb." Boba said, pulling his line out.
Obi-Wan turned to Zak, "How are you doing, Padawan?" He asked.
"Fine, Master; just a little short of breath." Zak answered truthfully.
"Well, it will not due if you lose consciousness while you are climbing; use your breather then." Obi-Wan instructed.
"Yes, Master." Zak replied as he took his breather from his belt and positioned it in his mouth.
"Boba, have you climbed this summit before?" Obi-Wan asked.
Boba shook his head, "No, I've been this far, but I haven't climbed it yet….not this one." He told him. "I'm sorry, Master Kenobi, I was not lying when I said I knew the Heights; I do, I have just not climbed everything."
Obi-Wan smiled and patted him on the back, "I knew that already; I only needed to know whether you would need to lead the way. Since you do not, then you and Zak will follow me." He explained. "But you have been up on the Heights, haven't you?"
"Oh, yes; I usually go up a different way, an easier way." Boba Fett answered. "But if the poaching guide brings his clients up here, he might be using that route."
"Yes, good thinking, Boba; you may be right." Obi-Wan told him as he eyed the summit carefully, "Alright, hang back until I tell you; observe where I go and follow me."
Zak nodded.
"Boba?" Obi-Wan prompted.
"I will, Master Kenobi." Boba replied.
They hooked themselves together and Obi-Wan began his ascent, carefully picking his handholds, pulling himself up and then searching for his next move. When he had climbed about fifteen meters, he signaled for them to follow and watched them closely, ready to haul either of them up if they should fall. Within minutes, both boys joined him and they repeated the process again, watching as he climbed and then following him when he indicated that it was safe for them. Halfway to his second perch, the shots began and Obi-Wan signaled to them to stay where they were, after several moments, the shots stopped and Obi-Wan nodded to them to resume climbing, "We will rest here for a moment, and then I will continue up." He said when they had reached him, "How are you doing, Zak?"
Zak pulled the breather from his mouth and smiled, "Fine, Master." Then frowned, "But what about those shots?"
"I will worry about that; you just worry about not falling and getting enough air." Obi-Wan told him.
Zak nodded thoughtfully, "Yes, Master."
Obi-Wan nodded and after a few more minutes asked, "How are we doing; ready to go yet?"
Both boys nodded; Obi-Wan turned back to the wall found a place to begin and pulled himself up. He was only a few meters above them, just pulling himself up to another ledge when the shots began again. Without warning, the rock his right hand was gripping exploded in his hand as one of the slugs hit it and it disintegrated, leaving him dangling by one hand. Another shot hit the rock he gripped in his left hand and he fell. Acting without thinking, he quickly detached himself from Zak's line in order to prevent him from falling with him and taking Boba down as well.
"NO!" Zak screamed as he realized what had just happened and what his master had just done, "No."
"It's alright, Zak; just keep going." Obi-Wan's voice sounded in his head. "I can't leave you, Master." He answered. "You must trust me, Padawan, I will be all right; climb to the summit, continue what we started. I will join you when I can." Obi-Wan's calm voice told him. "Do your duty as a Jedi." "Yes, Master."
Boba started to climb back down, "No, Boba; we have to keep going." Zak told him.
"But Master Kenobi…." Boba protested.
"It's alright; he sent me a message through the Force. He wants us to keep going." Zak replied with resolve and determination.
"But aren't you afraid that he might be hurt." Boba protested again.
"I…I can't think about that. I am a Jedi and Master Obi-Wan wants me to do my duty as a Jedi. We have to continue what we have already started." Zak answered and began to climb.
Boba shook his head, "I don't understand; you tell me I have to think about others and now you are just leaving Master Kenobi." He argued.
Zak glanced back at him, "Do you think this is easy for me? He wants us to keep going; if I went down after him now, I would be thinking only of myself." He said. "If you don't want to come, then go ahead and unhook your line." Zak finished, continuing his climb without looking back.
Boba sighed, "No, if I leave you, then you will probably get yourself killed…..now, put your breather back on before you pass out on me." He said.
Zak climbed to the ledge that his master had been trying to reach and waited for Boba to join him there. The shots had stopped as quickly as they had started, but neither boy knew if or when they would start again.
"I'll take the lead; I think I can find the way to the top." Boba suggested, "And put that breather back on."
"Alright, alright." Zak answered, "Are you sure you know what you're doing?"
"Probably more than you do. Come on, we're wasting time." Boba replied.
Zak nodded, Boba, he decided, was probably right; he replaced the breather and followed as Boba inched his way up. They made it all the way to the summit before the shots rang out again, forcing them to dive for cover.
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Obi-Wan groaned and rolled over. He had managed to Force push himself against the rocks he been falling into preventing himself from being severely injured or killed. He lay on his back, carefully accessing his body through the Force. "Obi-Wan?" His brother asked in concern. "It's alright; nothing seems to be broken." "I felt you fall." "I am sorry; there are times when it is not good to be connected." "Where are you?" "On Alderaan with Zak." "Is Zak alright?" "Yes, I unhooked his line. He has gone on." "Gone on? He left you?" "I told him to; we are on a mission, Anakin." "But what about you?" "I told you, I am all right. In a moment or two, I will climb back up and find them." "Them? So, he is with Boba then." "Yes." "I'm coming to you." "No, you are not; your wife is close to term and there is no need for you to come all the way to Alderaan." "Are you sure you are all right?" "Yes, brother." "Alright, then I will send you healing strength." "Thank you." He opened himself to Anakin and merged with him for a moment, feeling his brother's strength bolstering his own before pulling back. "I am here, my brother, if you need me." "Yes, I know, Anakin." Obi-Wan sat up and felt a pain in his side; he had broken a rib.
"Well, that could be a problem." He said aloud as he touched a wet spot above his eye and realized there was a cut there.
Sighing, he pulled a piece of cloth from his belt and tied it around his head to prevent the blood from dripping in his eye and obscuring his vision. Overall, he decided, it could have been much worse. He pushed himself off the ground and stood up, gritting his teeth against the pain in his side. He was just starting to climb back up when the shots rang out again.
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"Well, this is just great; what do you propose we do now?" Boba asked.
"Just be patient and wait. Besides, we don't know that he's shooting as us." Zak answered.
"How long? My butt is freezing." Boba complained.
"Which would you rather have, a frozen butt or to be hit by one of those slugs?" Zak asked.
"Well, if you put it that way…" Boba conceded.
"Zak?" "Master, are you alright?" "Yes, I can hear the shots; have you and Boba found cover?" "Yes, Master." "Good, Padawan; stay where you are, I am coming." "Yes, Master."
"….Zak; Zak? Are you listening?" Boba asked.
"What?"
"I just asked you how long…what were you doing, anyway?" Boba asked.
"Master Obi-Wan connected with me." Zak answered.
"But…I saw; how badly hurt is he?" Boba asked.
"I don't know; but he said he was coming for us, so it can't be too bad." Zak answered.
"That's impossible; I saw how far he fell." Boba countered.
Zak shook his head, "As Jedi, we are taught how to use the Force to break our fall." Zak replied.
"Well, then why were you hurt so badly on Belarid then?" Boba asked.
"Because I made the choice to save my brother from falling instead; I couldn't do both." Zak explained.
Boba shook his head this time, "I never will understand why you continued to protect him after what he did." He said.
"Even after all he did, he is still my brother." Zak answered as a shot ricocheted off the side of the rock they were hiding behind and struck a rock close to them.
Boba slid in the opposite direction, "That was too close; maybe we should move." He suggested.
"To where?" Zak asked.
Boba looked around and pointed to a cave entrance in the side of a low hill, "There." He said, pointing toward it.
"Alright; that's just great, but how do you propose we get there?" Zak asked.
Instead of answering, Boba moved slowly toward the mouth of the cave. "Boba, are you completely insane; he will shoot you." Zak exclaimed.
"No, not if I do this right." Boba answered, "Get ready to run."
"What?" Zak asked.
"Run; you know, run." Boba answered. "Do that Jedi speed thing and then just grab hold of me and drag me in with you."
"You must be joking; Master Obi-Wan said stay under cover." Zak insisted.
"Well, I don't think he knew how close we came to being hit by one of those metal things." Boba argued, "I'm going to do this, with or without you."
"Master Obi-Wan is going to kill me….alright, get ready, here I come." Zak said as he shot up and moved quickly to the cave, grabbing hold of Boba as he went.
Shots rang out, but they managed to make it. Zak let Boba go and dropped in an exhausted heap on the floor. Breathing hard, he turned to Boba, "Are you al…uh oh."
"What?" Boba said.
"You've been hit." Zak told him.
"No, I don't think so; my arm hurts a little, but I think it's because you threw me into the…wall; why are you looking at me like that?" Boba demanded.
"Boba, you're bleeding; look." He touched Boba's upper arm and then held his hand in front of Boba's face.
"Oh…I don't think…you should not have… I think I'm going…" He passed out in midsentence.
"It's not that bad; Boba?" Zak replied, shaking him.
However, Boba was out, "Don't tell me you're afraid of the sight of your own blood." Zak shook his head, "Great, that's just great." He said as he dragged the older boy deeper into the cave. "Master Obi-Wan?" "Yes, Zak." "Boba was hit with one of those slugs." "How bad?" "It doesn't look too bad." "Then just clean it up as best as you can and then the two of you find better cover." "Yes, Master." "I am nearly to the top, I will be with your shortly."