Chapter 18
Obi-Wan led Ben away from Xanatos and Anakin, releasing his light grip on the boy's arm when they were far enough that they could no longer clearly hear them. He took a seat on the floor, motioning for his padawan to join him. Ben sat down opposite him and folded his arms around his knees, pulling them close against his body.
"You've been very quiet, Padawan." Obi-Wan said. A slight smile cross his lips at his apprentice's closed posture. He briefly wondered if it was instinctual for a padawan to avoid his master's gaze when troubled. "I imagine this all must be very overwhelming."
"Yes, Master," Ben mumbled.
"It would be understandable if you were frightened."
Ben looked up, a multitude of questions written across his face. Looking to the side again, he nibbled briefly at his lip before speaking. "But Master … a Jedi should not fear."
"A Jedi should not dwell on fear or allow it to linger and take root," Obi-Wan said, giving a reassuring smile. "But it is only human to sometimes feel fear."
"Have you ever been scared?"
"I am human," Obi-Wan said, reaching over the rest a hand on his new apprentice's shoulder.
"I … I'm scared Master," Ben admitted with hesitation.
"I know." Obi-Wan sighed wistfully. "We should have had more time training together before you faced something like this. But, my master always taught me to focus on the moment, so that is what we will do."
"Did you and Master Xanatos find a way out?" Ben asked hopefully.
"No, but that doesn't mean one doesn't exist. First, we deal with fear. Close your eyes."
Obi-Wan delved deeply into the Force, drawing Ben's consciousness along with him as he centered them both. He guided Ben in releasing some of his fear before letting go of his own anxiety, emerging from the meditation much more focused.
"Let's go," he said, getting up off the floor. He walked to a distant wall, Ben following closely, and paused to look at it. "Our way out, Padawan."
"I don't understand, Master," Ben said. "I don't see anything but a wall."
Obi-Wan ran his fingers down the smooth, cold durasteel, wondering what had been stored in this room that necessitated metal walls. "Since there was no obvious way out …" He quickly ignited his saber and plunged the gleaming blade into the wall. "We make one."
The wall began to glow red-orange almost as though it were on fire, a small hole appearing as his Obi-Wan continued to move the saber up through the metal. Qui-Gon had cut open a lot of doors in this manner during Obi-Wan's time as an apprentice, and it looked as though he was carrying on the tradition. He looked over at Ben whose eyes had grown wide at the demonstration of a full power saber's capabilities.
"You know, Padawan," Obi-Wan said. "I am really grateful at this moment that I put getting you a real saber ahead of getting you a haircut on my list. Your training saber from the Temple wouldn't have done much against this wall."
"A braid wouldn't have helped either."
"I suppose not." Obi-Wan allowed himself to laugh, but his mind was more focused on the slight ebb of warning humming in the Force. They were approaching, cautiously, perhaps twenty or more. The intent he sensed compelled him to move the saber through the metal with greater urgency, pushing with all his strength and drawing on the Force to exceed his physical limits. He paused, pushing sweat-drenched hair from his face, as he looked at his handiwork. It was small, but big enough to slip Ben and Anakin through – that was all that mattered.
He turned, looking towards Xanatos who almost seemed to be sniffing the air, having himself sensed the same warning in the Force. AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
"Xan, we're about to have company." It didn't surprise Xanatos to hear Obi-Wan's urgent call. "Bring Anakin here … and grab our robes."
Xanatos adjusted Anakin so that he could get to his feet, dragging robes with him as he carried his apprentice to the wall.
"You two have been busy," Xanatos said. "Where does it go?"
"About anywhere is better than here, isn't it?"
While the small group of assailants approaching was inconsequential for Xanatos and Obi-Wan under normal circumstances, trying to defend their position exposed in a large room with multiple doors was a concern.
Xanatos nodded. "Hopefully it's not a rubbish drop or something."
Obi-Wan quickly picked up Ben's robe and draped it over his wide-eyed padawan, wrapping it around him before he could protest.
"Master, what are you doing?"
"The edges of the opening are hot and it will be a close fit," Obi-Wan explained as he picked up the bundle and shoved it through the opening, hearing Ben hit the floor on the other side with a dull thud and muffled groan.
Xanatos set Anakin down, picking up his own robe to wrap around the injured padawan. Anakin stopped his mentor's hands. "The hole isn't big enough."
"It is for you Padawan. You need to go with Ben and I'll be along shortly. I can't let Obi-Wan have all the fun, can I?"
"But, your anger …"
Xanatos smiled, pushing Anakin's braid back behind his ear. Pulling a hand down over Anakin's eyes to close them and focus the agitated boy, he opened his mind to Anakin more fully than he ever had before. He allowed Anakin to see his concern for Obi-Wan's safety, his guilt in bringing Ben into the mess, the anger he had for the Sith of taking and harming Anakin, his frustration at walking blindly into the trap, and his happiness that Obi-Wan's quick thinking had found a way to get the two boys to safety. Most importantly, he allowed his love for his apprentice to flow between them, showing that it was finding him safe that had ultimately calmed his wayward emotions.
He opened his eyes, knowing that time was growing short, and pulled his shields back up again. Anakin blinked in surprise, as though realizing he had just shared in something unprecedented and privileged.
"Do you sense I am out of control?" Xanatos asked with great seriousness.
"No, Master."
"Then be assured. I'm not going to fall to the Dark side." A slight chuckle escaped his lips at the sight of his padawan covered in his overgrown robe. He slipped the robe over Anakin's head and picked him up, approaching the opening in the wall.
"Help steady him Ben. We don't want to aggravate any of his injuries" Obi-Wan said as they passed Anakin through.
Both Jedi let out a mutual sigh of relief as the warning through the Force grew to a resounding alarm. Things were a lot less complicated without having to worry about two so young. Xanatos unclipped the second saber hanging to his belt and passed it through to his padawan.
"In case you need it."
Then, Obi-Wan stooped down facing Ben.
"Padawan, you need to keep working on the opening to get it big enough for Xanatos and me."
"Yes, Master," Ben said nodding his head.
Obi-Wan moved away, joining Xanatos as a green saber hissed into existence and plunged into the wall once again. Obi-Wan and Xanatos stood back-to-back and ignited their own sabers.
BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB BBBBBBB
Ben pushed his saber up, holding it steady as he worked through the thick durasteel, wishing he had his master's strength. The sound of blaster fire erupting in the other room drew his attention and he peered through the opening, catching sight of his master and Xanatos gracefully deflecting blaster fire that seemed to blow in from all directions. It reminded him of padawans and knights he had seen training with multiple remotes, but a sinking feeling set into his gut at the knowledge that although they fought with apparent ease, this demonstration was far more deadly.
Ben pushed up harder on his saber, knowing that completing his task was what stood between the two Jedi on the other side and relative safety. The rapid heating of the wall warmed the air near him and he could feel sweat begin to bead on his brow. Clenching his teeth, he squeezed his eyes shut as a deep burn began to set into trembling arms.
/Release the pain to the Force./
Wondering briefly how his mentor could possibly focus on battle and still give direction, he hurried to obey. Taking a deep cleansing breath, he focused more intently on his task, delving into the Force to lend him strength. He was startled again at hearing another saber hiss into existence and looked up to see Anakin propped weakly against the wall working on the other side of the opening with his own saber.
"You'll hurt yourself more, you …"
"My master is over there too," he grunted out, stifling a slight sob at the pain.
Anakin's contribution did little to physically help the process, but his participation boosted Ben, spurring him on, and they soon had the opening cut to accommodate their masters. Ben called to Obi-Wan through his bond as he stood back to finally catch his breath. CCCCCCCCCCCCCCC
"Time to go," Obi-Wan said as a blaster bolt whizzed past his head.
"And not a moment too soon," Xanatos said as they backed together towards the escape route. "Pick up your robe and get through there."
"You first," Obi-Wan said, sending a volley of fire back towards a nearby shooter. "I'm smaller and can get through there more quickly. You need the cover more."
"Now is not the time to be stubborn," Xanatos said through gritted teeth. "I'm the ranking Jedi master here and I'm telling you to get yourself through that damn opening."
A cried duet of, "Master", from the other side, accompanied by the sound of blaster fire refracting off a saber nearly sent both Jedi diving for the hole at the same time.
"Go!" Xanatos barked out.
Obi-Wan begrudgingly slipped through the opening first, immediately picking off a few blasts from an overhead catwalk as he kept an eye on Xanatos.
The Jedi master backed all the way to the hole under a flurry of blaster fire, slipping one leg through to the other side. He seemed to take several deep breaths before switching off his saber and quickly ducking his head as he slid into the second fire fight. He sunk to the ground with a pained hiss as he pulled his leg through.
Obi-Wan aimed the blasts back, deflecting so they hit the braces on the catwalk. The shooters were forced to flee or fall to the ground below.
"Were you hit?" Obi-Wan asked, crouching down next to Xanatos.
"I'm fine," Xanatos said. He stood and picked up Anakin again. "We need to keep moving."
Obi-Wan paused at a nearby door; reaching out with his senses to make sure the space outside was empty before opening it. They moved down the corridor until they felt a warning to get out of the open and pushed through the next door. The new room was small and had only the door they entered through and a random scattering of old crates.
"You and Ben stay here," Xanatos said, settling Anakin behind a large stack of crates.
Obi-Wan corralled Ben back next to Anakin and returned to the door with Xanatos. He could sense their assailants moving through the warehouse, nearing. As he focused himself to fight again, four bright spots crept into the darkness, moving towards them and the sound of blaster fire deflecting off of lightsabers echoed down the hallway.
"It's about time," Xanatos said. "Let's go give them a hand." DDDDDDDDDDDDDD
Ben and Anakin sat in their hiding spot behind the crates. They had heard the sounds of an ongoing battle in the corridors, but their masters still had not returned. Ben moved to the edge and crouched down, balancing on the balls of his feet with his saber clenched in his hand. He could sense two of them approaching. The door opened and Ben ignited his saber.
He deflected the fire from the first weapon and the shooter dropped to the ground, clutching his leg in pain as the blaster skidded across the floor. Ben turned at the sound of the second weapon, hearing a dull thud as he quickly ducked behind a crate. Taking a deep breath, he stepped back out into the open again and stared down the second shooter. Before his opponent could fire, a blue glow cut through Ben's field of vision and the shooter fell to the ground clutching a severed arm.
"Are you okay, Padawan?"
"Yes, Master."
Hearing the tremble in the boy's voice, Obi-Wan approached and kneeled down, gently gripping Ben's shoulders as he searched him for injuries. "Are you certain?" he asked worriedly.
"I am," he said nodding his head
Xanatos appeared in the doorway accompanied by a woman Ben recognized as Master Luminara Unduli, though he had only met her earlier.
"I think those who weren't injured have fled," Xanatos said, quickly hurrying over to check on his apprentice.
"We can wrap things up here," Luminara said, eyeing the two masters and their young charges. "You should get your padawans home."