Well, I really hadn't expected anyone to read over this holiday weekend, but I'm glad you have! So, here's another chapter for you...Have a good Labor Day, my faithful readers!

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Chapter 7 Almost There

Obi-Wan touched the back of Boba's neck, "He's alright; he just…" He began.

"Fainted; he did that before too." Zak finished.

"Well, of all people, I never would have guessed." Obi-Wan replied.

"Don't say anything when he wakes up; he'll be embarrassed." Zak told him.

"No, I had not planned on mentioning it." Obi-Wan answered as he sent a wave of the Force through him and then carefully moved him to the ground.

Boba stirred and opened his eyes, "What? Oh." He faced away from them as he felt his cheeks redden.

"It was probably shock; it happens sometimes. It was a nasty wound, Boba." Obi-Wan said nonchalantly.

"Oh, yeah, heh, heh; yeah, that's what it must have been. It couldn't have been anything else." Boba replied.

"Nothing I can think of." Obi-Wan answered, shoving Boba's used bacta pad behind his back. "As long as we are stuck here, we might just as well have a look around."

Boba stood quickly, "Good idea; who knows, we might even find another way out." He agreed.

"Maybe." Obi-Wan rose with a groan; he felt stiff all over.

"Are you sure you're alright, Master?" Zak asked.

"Yes, just a little sore; let's go this way." Obi-Wan answered heading down farther into the tunnel.

They walked for several meters and then Obi-Wan spotted an opening along one side, "Well, this looks interesting." He said as he shown his light into the opening revealing an open space. "Let's have a look, shall we?"

He stepped through, shining his light before him; Zak and Boba followed at a short distance. Interestingly, the space was not empty; a few crates stood along the side of the wall, "Now, what do you suppose is in there?" He said as he headed over to the wall, both boys on his heels.

Obi-Wan opened one of the crates, inside were several gun-like objects, similar to the familiar blasters, "Here take this." He said, handing his light to Zak.

Zak took the light and Obi-Wan picked up one of the 'guns', "What is it, Master Kenobi?" Boba asked.

"This is a long-barreled slug thrower." He said as he examined it.

"Oh, so that's what they look like." Boba said, reaching down into the crate and pulling out another object, "Is this a scope then?" He asked.

Obi-Wan nodded, "I think I'll just take one of these to show the Chancellor." He decided, slinging it over his shoulder, "Tuck that into your knapsack, Boba; I'm sure he will want to see that as well."

"Yes sir." Boba replied.

"How many are in there, Master?" Zak asked.

Obi-Wan reached back into the crate and sorted through it, "I count five more in this one with a scope for each." He told him.

Boba, meanwhile, had started opening another crate, "Hey, this one's different." He said, pulling out a smaller 'gun'.

"Well, that's one that you can put into a holster. It does not have the range of the long barrel though. Zak, you take that one. Let's see if there are any slugs here; we might as well take all the evidence we can get." Obi-Wan instructed.

Zak took the smaller weapon from Boba and the bounty hunter moved to the next crate, "Here, I think that's what these are; but they look a little different." He said as he took one and held it out for Obi-Wan to see.

"Yes, they have not been used so they have not been distorted by the barrel of the thrower or what they hit, but they are slugs. Take a handful and put them in with the scope." Obi-Wan told him.

"They come in this box, why don't I just take the box?" Boba asked.

"Good idea; what have you found over there, Zak?" Obi-Wan asked when he noticed that Zak was rummaging through a different crate.

"Documents, Master; I think this one might be a client list." Zak answered as he brought one of the papers to him.

Obi-Wan studied the paper for a moment, "Well, that's foolish; why print out something like this? The Chancellor should be able to track down all these…..clients." He replied and tucked the paper into his own sack.

"Master Kenobi, you don't think we might be able to get out this way, do you?" Boba asked, pointing to another opening in the cave wall.

"Good question, let's find out." Obi-Wan answered as he and Zak joined Boba.

With Obi-Wan taking the lead once again, they walked through the opening into a passageway similar to one that had led to the open space. They followed the passageway for several meters and came upon a fork.

"Now what?" Boba asked looking down one side and then the other.

Obi-Wan closed his eyes and reached out, "This way." He answered as he opened his eyes, pointing to the right fork.

"Why that way? It could just lead it right back to where we started, or worse we could be…." Boba started to protest.

"He knows, Boba." Zak interrupted.

"Oh, it's that Force thing again, isn't it." Boba answered.

"Yes." Zak replied following Obi-Wan who had already started down the passageway.

"The Force, yeah, heh, heh, heh; I could use that. Too bad I can't get it." Boba said.

The passageway began to gradually widen out and after about a half an hour, they reached the mouth of another entrance.

Obi-Wan turned to Boba, "Does anything out there look familiar?" He asked.

Boba peered out, glanced in all directions and turned back to Obi-Wan with a triumphant look on his face, "No problem; I've been up here several times, in fact, I even remember seeing this cave; I just never got around to coming in here. Come on, I'll show you the path to get down." He answered, replacing his gloves and hat and taking the lead to leave the cave.

Zak and Obi-Wan followed suit only to discover that Zak had lost his hat, "Master Malian is going to be very annoyed; first I lost my breather and now my hat." Zak stated, forlornly.

"These things happen, here take mine." Obi-Wan said patiently handing his hat down.

"No, Master; it's my fault it was lost. It wouldn't be right for me to take yours." Zak objected.

"It was not your fault; it happened because you were being fired upon. Now take this." Obi-Wan countered, offering the hat again.

"I can't, Master." Zak insisted.

"You will." Obi-Wan replied, rolling the ends of the hat before putting it on his Padawan's head and then holding his own breather out to him, "Take this too, and I don't want to hear anymore arguments." He said sternly.

"Yes, Master." Zak answered as he took the breather without further protest.

Obi-Wan crouched down in front of him, made some adjustments to make the hat fit more snugly and stood back up, "Are you ready?" He asked.

"I guess so." Zak said.

Boba was scanning the area when they joined him, "All set?" He asked.

"Yes, let's get off the summit before it gets too dark to see where we are going." Obi-Wan answered.

"I'm all for that." Boba replied, moving away from the cave entrance.

After twenty minutes, Obi-Wan noticed with concern that Zak was beginning to favor his right leg and it became more pronounced the longer they walked, "Hold on, let's take a break." He announced.

Boba turned, nodded in agreement and hopped up to sit on the nearest group of rocks. Zak, clearly hobbling now, joined him without a word. Obi-Wan removed his gloves and began to rub the muscles in Zak's leg, "I'm sorry, Master." Zak said regretfully.

"Stop apologizing for things that are not your fault, Padawan. Just sit and rest for a few minutes and let me see if I can loosen your leg muscles a little." Obi-Wan replied as he worked.

"It's because I broke my leg, isn't it." Zak speculated.

"Probably; the muscles still aren't as strong as they were before you fell. I should have thought of that before now." Obi-Wan answered, sending a surge of Force strength through his hands into Zak's leg muscles, "How is that, better?"

"Yes, Master; thank you." Zak told him.

"Good, we will just rest here for a few more minutes and then get moving again." Obi-Wan answered as he slipped his numbed hands into his gloves, "How much farther, Boba?"

"Five or six k's maybe." Boba estimated.

"And how are you doing?" Obi-Wan asked.

"Fine; I'm just fine." Boba assured him.

Obi-Wan nodded and gave Zak a few more minutes before they started out again. The light was now beginning to fade and the wind started to pick up causing the temperature to drop. Their progress slowed as Zak began to limp once again. This time, Obi-Wan realized that they could not afford to stop and they forged on. Several minutes later, Boba tripped, instinctively putting his hands out in front of him to break his fall; his injured arm buckled and he landed on top of it. Obi-Wan was there instantly, "Don't move, Boba." He said, putting a hand on his back.

"It's alright, I just lost my balance." Boba told him as he raised himself up with one arm and started to turn his head toward Obi-Wan.

"No, you don't want to look." Obi-Wan warned, turning Boba's face away.

"Why not?" Boba asked as he fought to see what Obi-Wan did not want him to.

"Trust me, Boba; this is something you do not want to see." Obi-Wan answered.

"It can't be all that bad; just me see." Boba protested.

"You're bleeding again, Boba." Zak told him.

Boba stopped struggling, "Oh." He said and sat up turning his face away.

"That's better." Obi-Wan said, then squatted down, rummaged through his knapsack and pulled out a roll of bandaging material. Removing his gloves again, he wrapped the entire roll around Boba's arm, covering the blood that had seeped through Zak's bandage and spread to the arm of his jacket. Knowing what would happen if he caught even a glimpse of his own blood, Boba kept his eyes averted as Obi-Wan worked.

"There, that should do it." Obi-Wan announced, "You can look now."

"You aren't going to tell anyone about….about….well, you know; are you?" Boba asked as he examined the clean white bandage.

"About….what, Boba?" Obi-Wan asked innocently.

"Well, umm….nothing, I guess; heh, heh, heh." Boba answered, "Thanks."

Obi-Wan smiled as he put his gloves back on and stood up; then looked over at Zak, "Are you alright?" He asked as a look of concern replaced the smile.

"Yes, Master." Zak answered and then smiled, "You worry too much."

"I have been told that." Obi-Wan replied, "Well, come on let's get off the summit." He reached down and pulled Boba to his feet.

"It isn't far now; maybe another kilometer." Boba assured them as he walked forward into the growing darkness.

Obi-Wan sighed, as he watched Boba take the lead without hesitation, but cradling his injured arm; now he had to worry about him as well.

They hiked for another hour when Boba called them to a halt, "There!" He announced confidently, pointing to a distinct looking rock formation, "It's only a few meters beyond that."

Obi-Wan glanced over at Zak who had limped along without complaint for several kilometers, "I'm alright, Master." Zak assured him once again.

With renewed vigor, they pressed on…..they had not gone more than a meter when a loud report followed by a slug striking the snow next to Obi-Wan signaled the start of another attack. All three of them dived for cover behind a, fortunately close, mound of rock.

"Blast it; we were almost there." Boba said.