The Death of Hope

9

It wasn’t Balog who was attacking. After the dust cleared, Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan caught a glimpse of a group of beings who blended in with the rocks and dirt. They wore gray unisuits and their skin was the same ashy color. They moved from boulder to boulder, trying to close in on the Jedi.

Obi-Wan saw a thin beam of light pulse over their heads toward the canyon wall. “Move back!” he shouted to Qui-Gon and Eritha.

They jumped back just seconds before a slide of rock and shale landed where they had been.

“They’re using a beamdrill to create rock slides,” Obi-Wan said.

Qui-Gon looked behind them. “They most likely are driving us into an ambush.”

“What should we do?” Eritha asked. Her face was taut, her eyes wide with fear.

Another pulse hit the rock face, and the three jumped back in time to avoid another shuddering explosion of rock. The shards flew toward them, and they covered their heads until the dust settled.

“We need to get above the range of the beamdrill,” Qui-Gon said, scanning the canyon wall. “If we can get on top of the rock, they can’t follow us.”

“Our cable launchers don’t go that high,” Obi-Wan said. “We’ll have to keep relaunching.”

“And meanwhile they’ll still be using that beamdrill,” Eritha said.

“I think it’s our only chance,” Qui-Gon decided. “Stay close,” he warned Eritha.

She shuddered. “Don’t worry.”

“Qui-Gon! Our probe droid is approaching!” Obi-Wan called.

“We need better cover!” Eritha shouted, panicked. She darted forward suddenly as the beam-drill pulse hit an area over their heads.

As rocks began to rain down, Qui-Gon leaped toward Eritha to bring her to safety. Obi-Wan followed, activating his lightsaber to deflect the rocks from the probe droid.

Qui-Gon grabbed Eritha and landed safely behind a pile of debris.

Obi-Wan wasn’t as lucky. He was seconds too late to save the probe droid. A large boulder hit the droid straight on, shattering it. Obi-Wan barely had time to register this before he realized a shower of rocks was headed toward him. He twisted in midair, but a large rock caught him in the leg.

He fell, and his leg gave way underneath him.

“Stay here!” Qui-Gon roared to Eritha, pushing her head down. He raced forward, picked Obi-Wan up in his arms, and with a mighty leap, landed beyond the safety of the new pile of rocks the attack had created.

“Master… the droid I’m sorry…” Obi-Wan’s breath came in gasps.

His leg throbbed.

Qui-Gon felt the leg gently. “It’s not broken. After you catch your breath you might be able to stand on it. If not, I’ll carry you.”

Obi-Wan nodded. He gathered himself to accept the pain, to open himself to the Force so he could begin to heal.

They were almost at the end of the narrow canyon. Obi-Wan knew he would not be able to use his cable launcher to get above the beam-drills.

By the grim look on Qui-Gon’s face, he knew his Master had already realized this and was formulating another plan.

Suddenly two explosions went off farther down the narrow passage, and a rock slide began, larger than the ones before. Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan covered their heads.

When they were able to see through the choking dust, the end of the canyon was blocked off by a towering pile of rock and rubble.

“We’re trapped,” Obi-Wan said.

Qui-Gon activated his lightsaber. “They still have to come and get us. And we have the cover of the landslides they’ve already created.”

They heard a grinding noise, and a mole miner appeared at the other end of the canyon. The utility vehicle lumbered toward them slowly.

“Mole miners can bore through solid rock,” Obi-Wan said. “Our cover is about to disintegrate.”

Just then Eritha dashed over to them from behind her own cover. “What is that?” she asked Qui-Gon.

“A mole miner,” Qui-Gon said. “It’s a utility craft used by miners.”

“So our attackers are miners?” Eritha asked.

“I’d say yes,” Qui-Gon said. “So far they’ve used mining equipment to attack us. Maybe they don’t have conventional weapons.”

“That could be good news,” Eritha muttered.

Suddenly, she scrambled over the rock pile.

“Eritha!” Qui-Gon yelled, reaching for her.

She jumped from the top of the pile to the ground. Then she threw back the hood of her cloak and raised her hands.

“Stay here, Padawan.” Qui-Gon leaped over the rock pile in one fluid motion. He stood with his lightsaber activated, ready to defend Eritha.

“Put away your weapon, Qui-Gon,” Eritha said through her teeth. “And trust me.”

The mole miner advanced a few meters, then stopped.

Slowly, Qui-Gon deactivated his lightsaber. Obi-Wan watched, knowing his Master could still attack in a movement faster than the eye could see.

Slowly, a hatch opened at the top of the mole miner. A ramp emerged.

A man and a woman crawled out and walked down the ramp.

They faced Qui-Gon and Eritha and bowed.

“Daughter of Ewane, we are at your service,” the man said. Obi-Wan now saw that their skin was gray with rock dust.

Eritha bowed in return. “I am Eritha.”

The tall woman spoke. “We thought you were a team from the Absolutes. We apologize. They have been raiding our settlements and stealing supplies.”

“Who are you?” Qui-Gon asked.

“We are the Rock Workers. We are allies of the Tech Workers in the city. We are glad to see that you were not harmed.”

“But we were,” Qui-Gon said. “My Padawan is hurt. And our probe droid was destroyed. It was tracking an Absolute.”

“Then we are truly sorry,” the man said, distressed. “If you come with us to our settlement, we have excellent med care. We will help you any way we can.”