Beginning Again

Chapter 9: Finding the Base

Obi Wan POV

So far I had yet to really regret my decision to let Anakin "borrow" the speeder, as he had put it, but I knew that we would run into trouble when we brought it back if the owner was around.  However, I had more important things to focus on before we even thought about returning to the city.

First we had to find where Queen Organa was being held.  However, it appeared that was proving to be more difficult than we had hoped.  The information that was given to Alexa, which she had relayed to us, was less than exact and after travelling through the hot desert for almost an hour I had begun to think we had been sent on a wild bantha chase.

"Are you sure that we're going the right way?"

"If the information was right then yes, the base should be around here somewhere."  Anakin replied.

"Somewhere.  Oh yes that's very helpful.  At this rate it will be a miracle if we manage to find this place before tomorrow.  We need to go back and find someone who can actually tell us the way."

I heard Alexa scoff.  "No offence, Master Kenobi, but you won't find many people on this planet who are willing to rat out bounty hunters.  Especially when most of the residents of Mos Eisely are bounty hunters themselves."

I knew she was right, but this was getting us nowhere.  I had seen enough of this barren landscape to last me a life time and with the sun beating down on us, with no water to drink, it wouldn't be long until we were all dehydrated.  "There has to be a better way than searching blindly and simply hoping we might find it."

"Well this is the best we have at the moment, Obi Wan, but if you have any other suggestions we're all ears."  Anakin said, keeping his eyes on the sand dunes ahead of us.

"It would seem that your padawan, disagrees."  I told him, glancing at Alexa who sat with her arms folded over her chest.

"I just know that we were lucky that those guys told me anything at all, and my contacts here are limited.  There are a lot more people who would rather kill Jedi than help us."

"Why don't we just ask the next womp rat for directions?"  Rendal asked, making me grin.

"Look, we'll check out what's over there and if we can't see any sign of the base then we'll turn back and think of a new strategy."  Anakin conceded.

As we came to the top of a large sand dune and there we could see a canyon up ahead.

"Perhaps the base is hidden in there."  Rendal suggested.

"Let's go see."  Anakin drove the speeder forward, but I was beginning to wonder if this was a good idea.

"It could be a trap."

"Most likely."

"Wait, so what do we do if it is?"  My padawan asked.

"Spring the trap."  Anakin smirked.

Alexa POV

I kept my eyes trained for traps as we came to the mouth of the canyon, I didn't want to be caught off guard.  If I'd learned one thing during my time alone it was to never underestimate a bounty hunter.

A small movement drew my eyes to a place high on the canyon wall.  "They've got motion sensors and we've just triggered them."  I informed the group.

"Get ready for whatever defence systems they have to activate."  Ahsoka warned.

We all watched for blaster fire or any other traps, but to our surprise there didn't seem to be any.