crawling up it. The others. He had to get to the others. Moving as if he were on the deck of a storm-tossed ship in the sea, he made his way to the far side of the ship. The hovercar had toppled over on its side. As he moved toward it the side hatch popped open and Ebrihim came crawling out, half carrying, half dragging his aunt Marcha. She seemed to have a bad cut on the left side of her head. She looked half-stunned.
Somehow, without even knowing how he did it, Chewbacca crossed the distance to the hovercar. He reached out and lifted Marcha away from Ebrihim’sside, then tucked her under one arm and lifted Ebrihim down to the ground with the other.
He shouted at Ebrihim to get aboard the
Falcon,
and pointed toward the ship. Either Ebrihim could understand what Chewbacca was saying or else he understood the gesture. He nodded and started toward the ship. The ground had all but stopped moving, and Ebrihim was to walk more or less without being knocked over.
Chewbacca looked toward the ship himself and saw Q9, down and inert, slumped over next to his charging stand. Still carrying Marcha, he moved to the charging stand and examined the situation. The droid looked completely dead and motionless. Chewbacca pulled at the cable connecting the droid to the charger, but the connection seemed to have gotten jammed somehow. Chewbacca yanked harder, and the cable snapped. He scooped the droid up in his free hand and headed for the
Falcon
.
At that moment the lightning struck again, blasting out from the central cone toward the six smaller cones that surrounded it. Chewbacca looked up involuntarily to see the dazzling bright display, but then realized his mistake and looked away before he could be blinded by the light.
The light he could look away from, but the sound, the overwhelming sound—there was nothing he could do to shut that out.
He hurried toward the ship as the lesser cones answered back to the master, sending their own bolts of fire back toward the central cone. The noise redoubled, louder than ever, and the ground bucked harder, nearly knocking Chewbacca over. The
Falcon
was bouncing on its landing jacks, riding their shock absorbers.
Chewbacca staggered around to the far side of the ship and got to the entry ramp. He had to time his rush up the ramp between the buckings and surgings of the silver surface of the ground. Judging the moment to beright, he rushed aboard ship. He hit the switch to raise the ramp, then got to the lounge. He set the Duchess Marcha and Q9-X2 down on the deck as gently as he could. Ebrihim had already produced a first-aid kit from somewhere, and knelt down next to his aunt.
The two Drall, the droid, the twins—Chewbacca suddenly realized that Anakin wasn’t there. He had half assumed the youngest child would be with the twins. He turned and headed toward the door.
“Anakin’s safe!” Jacen shouted over the thundering din, clearly reading Chewbacca’s thoughts from his action. “He’s in some sheltered side tunnel. I can feel him in the Force. He’s not hurt, and he’s feeling more scared we’ll be mad at him than scared he’ll get hurt. I think he set this off.”
Chewbacca just stood there and stared at Jacen for a moment, unsure what to do. He had sworn to protect the children above all else. If Anakin were indeed safe, then he could button up the ship and wait this thing out. But if—if—Anakin were in danger, then what could he do? Search all the endless side corridors for him during this massive disturbance? But if he did that, he would be exposing the ship, and those aboard her, to greater danger. He would have to get the shields raised and lowered so he could go in and out—and no one besides him knew the ship well enough to keep the shields up.
To keep the others safe, he would have to stay here. Very well. It was not certain, it was not perfect, but it was the best judgment, the best decision he could make under the circumstances. If he had judged wrong, and harm
Somehow, without even knowing how he did it, Chewbacca crossed the distance to the hovercar. He reached out and lifted Marcha away from Ebrihim’sside, then tucked her under one arm and lifted Ebrihim down to the ground with the other.
He shouted at Ebrihim to get aboard the
Falcon,
and pointed toward the ship. Either Ebrihim could understand what Chewbacca was saying or else he understood the gesture. He nodded and started toward the ship. The ground had all but stopped moving, and Ebrihim was to walk more or less without being knocked over.
Chewbacca looked toward the ship himself and saw Q9, down and inert, slumped over next to his charging stand. Still carrying Marcha, he moved to the charging stand and examined the situation. The droid looked completely dead and motionless. Chewbacca pulled at the cable connecting the droid to the charger, but the connection seemed to have gotten jammed somehow. Chewbacca yanked harder, and the cable snapped. He scooped the droid up in his free hand and headed for the
Falcon
.
At that moment the lightning struck again, blasting out from the central cone toward the six smaller cones that surrounded it. Chewbacca looked up involuntarily to see the dazzling bright display, but then realized his mistake and looked away before he could be blinded by the light.
The light he could look away from, but the sound, the overwhelming sound—there was nothing he could do to shut that out.
He hurried toward the ship as the lesser cones answered back to the master, sending their own bolts of fire back toward the central cone. The noise redoubled, louder than ever, and the ground bucked harder, nearly knocking Chewbacca over. The
Falcon
was bouncing on its landing jacks, riding their shock absorbers.
Chewbacca staggered around to the far side of the ship and got to the entry ramp. He had to time his rush up the ramp between the buckings and surgings of the silver surface of the ground. Judging the moment to beright, he rushed aboard ship. He hit the switch to raise the ramp, then got to the lounge. He set the Duchess Marcha and Q9-X2 down on the deck as gently as he could. Ebrihim had already produced a first-aid kit from somewhere, and knelt down next to his aunt.
The two Drall, the droid, the twins—Chewbacca suddenly realized that Anakin wasn’t there. He had half assumed the youngest child would be with the twins. He turned and headed toward the door.
“Anakin’s safe!” Jacen shouted over the thundering din, clearly reading Chewbacca’s thoughts from his action. “He’s in some sheltered side tunnel. I can feel him in the Force. He’s not hurt, and he’s feeling more scared we’ll be mad at him than scared he’ll get hurt. I think he set this off.”
Chewbacca just stood there and stared at Jacen for a moment, unsure what to do. He had sworn to protect the children above all else. If Anakin were indeed safe, then he could button up the ship and wait this thing out. But if—if—Anakin were in danger, then what could he do? Search all the endless side corridors for him during this massive disturbance? But if he did that, he would be exposing the ship, and those aboard her, to greater danger. He would have to get the shields raised and lowered so he could go in and out—and no one besides him knew the ship well enough to keep the shields up.
To keep the others safe, he would have to stay here. Very well. It was not certain, it was not perfect, but it was the best judgment, the best decision he could make under the circumstances. If he had judged wrong, and harm
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