Crouched in a small niche at the side of the stairwell, Obi-Wan examined the damaged shield generator. Wesley perched half on the stairs beside him.
"Even if we get it fixed, the shield will only last eight or ten hours," Obi-Wan told the older boy. "The power cells were worn down even before it was damaged this morning. And it will only provide limited coverage: enough to keep the cavern from collapsing any further; enough to protect the stairs from damage."
"If it protects our retreat, that's good enough for me," Wes said. "I have a feeling we're going to need it."
"We'll need a few parts from the sorting room below. Can you get them?" He rattled off a short list.
"On my way," Wes cried, already jumping down the stairs two at a time. An explosion somewhere overhead shook the rock walls; pebbles and debris rained down. Obi-Wan ducked and waited for the dust to clear. Then he picked up the multitool he'd brought with him and set to work. Ten minutes later Wesley puffed back up the stairs, carrying a large crate filled to the brim with tools and equipment. He set it on the landing by the generator niche. Both boys were soon absorbed with their task.
Neither noticed Kadric until he spoke, close by Obi-Wan's ear. "If you can't finish soon, it won't be worth finishing. We're sorely outgunned."
Obi-Wan didn't pause. "One more adjustment," he said.
"I'm done here," Wes said, finishing.
With a nod, Obi-Wan tapped in the sequence to set the generator power. They listened to it hum slowly, shakily to life. A blue, shimmering barrier stretched from the machine, following the guide channels, over their heads. It gave cover to the stair, without blocking it.
"Good work," Kadric nodded. He handed each of the boys a weapon. "You may need these, if any probes get through: stay here and guard the generator. The weapons you repaired for us yesterday are what's enabled us to hold out this long, but if we don't have an answer soon to Sitaris' signal for help, we'll all be heading down." So saying, Kadric took the stairs two at a time back to the surface.
When Kadric was gone and Obi-Wan was certain they were once more alone, Obi-Wan spoke quietly, not looking at Wes. "I noticed a portable force field in the sorting room yesterday. I think it only needed its guide channel spliced."
"A force field would be a great help for guarding the generator," Wesley said, catching on. "Why don't you get it?"
Obi-Wan nodded, and barreled down the stairs.
Ten minutes later Obi-Wan ran up the stairs even faster, if possible, than he had gone down. He dropped the portable force field, newly fixed, at Wesley's feet.
"What is it?" Wes asked, catching Obi-Wan's urgency and helping him to stretch out the guide channels.
"They're in trouble," Obi-Wan gasped. "I think they're trapped."
"Will and Deanna?" Wes prompted.
Obi-Wan nodded. "And Sitaris. I have to go help them."
Wesley switched on the energy wall. "I'm going with you."
"It's not safe," Obi-Wan protested. He looked up, straight at Wesley.
Wesley held his eyes and grinned. "No kidding," he agreed.
Obi-Wan breathed out slowly. He was worried his friend would not be able to handle a combat situation. But he could feel Wesley's determination. Pulling out his blaster, he nodded. Then he ran up the stairs, two at a time, Wes right behind him.
-
The top of the stair dazzled them with light scattered by thick dust. The sun was up. They found themselves in the midst of tumbled boulders, the top of a huge formation that stretched easily ten meters above the ground, five meters ahead, and all around as far as they could see. A narrow path wound to left and right amongst the rocks. To the right they could hear blaster fire and the whine of engines.
"This way," Obi-Wan said, taking the left path. He crouched to better hide behind the rocks, and scanned the sky with his blaster half-raised. Behind him Wesley followed his lead. Obi-Wan heard his breathing quicken with fear and adrenaline.
Blaster marks scored the stone; in many places still smoking. Fresh shards littered their path. They cut Obi-Wan's bare feet, but he kept moving. Just off the path beside them, they found a trainer lying dead, a crumpled bloody heap amongst the rocks. His weapon had already been salvaged. Wesley shuddered, and Obi-Wan flinched away. The sun shone bright overhead.
When they reached an overhang, just large enough to cover them both, Obi-Wan stopped his friend with a gesture. He heard an engine rumbling closer. He pressed himself flat against the rock, and peered around the edge. Two sloops zoomed toward them. As they closed on the tumbled rock formation that sheltered the underground camp, they split apart. One came at the Lansarites' camp from the south, slowed, fired twice, and stopped above the rock formation about fifteen meters away, aiming at a point that was shielded from their sight by a large rock slide. The other circled almost directly over the boys' heads from the north and stopped just above the rock slide, facing the first sloop.
"Don't tell me," Wes whispered. "They're behind the rock slide."
"I'm afraid so," Obi-Wan answered.
Obi-Wan took careful aim at the front sloop's steering plates, and fired. The impact of the blast threw the rider off. The second sloop soared instantly from its hover, directly towards them. Obi-Wan fired again. Nothing happened. He dropped his blaster and twisted, throwing himself and Wesley down behind the cover of the overhang. Behind them he heard shots, and an explosion. The sloop sheared the rock above their heads and smashed into the stone only meters behind them. The impact sent a rain of debris, stinging and bruising Obi-Wan's skin, to bury them in their hiding place.
"Ben -" came Wesley's muffled voice.
"Sorry, Wes, I thought I would get that one -" Obi Wan pushed at the rocks and metal shards beside them, sending them rattling down the slope of the path, a small cascade. Bright light filtered through the small opening, and air.
Wesley breathed in sharply, then began to laugh. "You rescue the adults, shield me from an explosion, and apologize for a faulty blaster. Either you're a superhuman or an overconfident idiot with more luck than sense."
Chuckling ruefully, Obi-Wan continued to push away debris. "Far too much the latter, I'm afraid."
"They're here!" they heard Deanna say, voice muffled through the shifting of piled rock. The sound increased as more debris was pushed away.
"Who?" asked Will.
"The two boys -" she answered. In a few minutes a large space was cleared at the top of the overhang, and Sitaris and Will reached down to pull Obi-Wan free. They passed him to Kadric, standing beside them on the path. Then they went back for Wesley. Both coughed with the dust stirred up; both were coated gray with pulverized rock.
"You idiots!" Will raged. "What are you doing up here?" Sitaris turned Obi-Wan, brushing him off, his face grave. Wesley was staring at him, Obi-Wan found, looking horrified. Then Sitaris lifted Obi-Wan to his shoulder and started walking, toward the stairs they'd left behind. Beside them, Obi-Wan saw Will push Wesley ahead of him. Kadric followed them both. Distant but approaching, he heard the sound of more sloops, and blaster fire.
"Answer Will Riker's question," Sitaris ordered.
"I sensed you were in trouble," Obi-Wan answered. "I came to help." He squirmed a little, wanting to be set back on his feet. "I can walk -"
Sitaris's hold tightened. "You are hurt. The skin of your feet, not to mention your arms and back, is badly torn, with shards of rock and metal embedded in it. I fear you may be suffering from mild shock. Can you not feel the pain of your wounds?"
Now that Sitaris mentioned it, Obi-Wan felt the throbbing of his feet and sting in his skin that adrenaline and focus had shielded from his conscious mind. "Yes, sir," he answered, subdued. "I can feel it now." With both arms he clung to the man's broad shoulders, knowing he must be a heavy burden, but thankful now to be carried.
"You have endangered yourself and Wesley needlessly."
"But -"
"It is true that your shot was well timed, and helped us. But we could have escaped for ourselves. Kadric was already on his way. You are reckless, boy. You need guidance, from one strong enough to teach you discipline."
Obi-Wan didn't respond. As with Wesley, he recognized the truth of Sitaris's words. Even the Jedi Council had said as much, when they put him on probation. He cringed, shamed, suddenly thankful he could hide his burning face in Sitaris's rough tunic.
"They've come," said Kadric suddenly. The man was staring at the sky, shielding his eyes with one hand. "The Elders have sent help."
"Just in time," Sitaris answered. Kadric pulled out his blaster and pressed against the shielding stone beside them, looking over.
"I'll join you when I may," Sitaris told him as he ducked into the stairwell.
"Honor to you, Sitaris. May we come to you first, victory in hand."
-
Deep under stone and sand, low caves glittered in the light of glowrods and cool lamps. Scattered into small groups, the displaced Lansarites crouched or sat on humps of stone that had never felt the touch of human skin. Will, Deanna, and Wesley sat near the wall of one of the farther caverns, waiting, as everyone waited: scouts had been sent to investigate the various exit points, and they would have no news from the battle above until runners returned: this network of caves had been sealed against sensor scans, blocking the exchange of messages.
A short distance away, Ben lay face-down on the cave floor, wrapped in a blanket, sleeping. Wesley had told Will how Ben had been frantic to reach them on the surface, having sensed they were endangered. Will was still bewildered at the risk they had taken.
"It must be a terrible gift," Deanna said in answer to his feelings. "Sensing in advance what is going to happen, what might happen…"
"But taking Wesley above that way - what good did he think he could accomplish?"
"He didn't take me," Wesley insisted. "He told me not to come. I followed him anyway."
"Why?" Will asked.
"I don't know. I guess - I felt I had to do something. If you had been killed -" Wesley bit his lip. "And also I couldn't let Ben risk himself alone. He's younger than I am, smaller, a slave - if anyone needs protection and help, it's him." Wes snorted. "And he threw himself on top of me. Some help I was… I came through without a scratch, and he's hurt again."
"You can't help what he does, Wesley. He has quick reflexes…" said Deanna.
"He's the strangest kid I've ever known," Wesley said. "I can't decide if he's heroic or plain crazy."
"He has powerful talents," Deanna said. "He needs someone who can understand him, who can help him learn control."
"Betazoid practices would help him," said Will.
"Maybe," Deanna answered. "Though I still think he's been trained already in such arts."
"What do we do next?" Wesley asked.
"We need to get out of these caves," Will answered, "and back to Enterprise. As soon as we know which way to take."
"And Ben?"
"Following the Prime Directive," said Deanna, "means we should leave him here."
"I don't want to leave him," said Wesley quietly. Will put a hand on his shoulder.
They heard the sound of running feet from the empty passage behind them, and stood to see the runner enter.
"We've won the battle," said the tall, thin man who stopped, panting, at the arched entrance to their cave. "We are all to go to the main cavern. The Elders have sent a representative to speak to us. Male and female, free and bonded alike, he said."
Talk broke out at once, and the rattling of equipment being packed and shifted. A tall woman went to the control panel on the wall near the Enterprise crewmembers, and shut power to the sensor block. She pulled a communicator from the pocket of her long, loose dress. "Drenda to Sitaris."
"Sitaris here."
"I'd like confirmation on the orders Vitalit conveyed."
"You're to bring everyone to the main cavern at once. Viden is here from the Council of Elders to speak to us."
"We'll be there shortly. Drenda out. Sorry, Vitalit," she said to the tall runner.
"No apologies necessary; I'd have done the same."
Will followed Deanna and Wesley to where Ben lay, waking.
"You're to join everyone going up," Deanna told him. Ben nodded, and rose to his feet, wincing.
"Hold on," said Deanna. She tore strips from his blanket to wrap his feet. Will watched the Lansarites streaming past, wending their way out and up through the narrow passage, around stalagmites and strange bulging formations of slow-growing stone.
"Should we go with them?" Will asked softly, "Or try one of the other passages?" He turned to look at Ben.
"It's Viden come to speak, Will," Deanna pointed out.
The boy paused a long moment, also watching people pass. "I trust Sitaris," he said finally, just as softly. He followed the last of the walkers from the room, Deanna beside him, Wes close behind, looking anxious. Frowning, Will joined them, wishing he felt Ben and Deanna's certainty.