TRI chapter 9
Something moved beside Valin, and he pushed at it sleepily. It made a noise, and he opened his eyes and scrambled backwards, wondering just what the kriff was in his bunk room and why didn't he know about it?
Wait a second -- this isn't-
"Um, Valin, you might wanna-"
SPLASH!
"-stop."
Valin blinked as he fell into the underground pool, having suddenly remembered where he was -- in the grotto, with Sannah, Durron, and Master Ikrit....right. Then he realised he didn't quite want to drown just yet, so he grabbed at the rocky edge of the pool and pulled himself up and out of the water, collapsing in a wet, crumpled heap in front of a giggling Sannah. "You coulda helped, y'know," he muttered, wiping water out of his eyes and hair. At least the water was warm, anyway.
"I did try to warn you," she answered, giggling again as she pulled Valin to his feet.
Scowling at her, he tried to brush down his clothes and pulled a face. His jumpsuit was absolutely soaked, now. He would have to change it when he got back to his room-- oh. Sighing, Valin looked round and scowled again at the smirk on Durron's face. "You think this is funny?" he asked, trying to sound threatening. Well -- he was almost as tall as the man.
Durron shook his head and spread his hands out, feigning innocence. "Not at all." The smirk was still on his face, though.
"Hmph." Valin looked round, then turned back to Sannah, glad to see that she'd finally stopped giggling. "What-?" Then he felt it -- Tahiri's excitement, Anakin's urgency -- we got a ship, we're back, get ready.
He scrambled forward, away from the pool, looking up as the already-pale orange light from Yavin disappeared. Something was blocking it, something that he could sense in the Force, something approaching the floor of the grotto quicker and quicker, getting bigger and bigger-
Then the ship landed, a light transport, settling in the shallowest part of the pool. The landing ramp lowered, a few metres away round the edge of the pool, and Valin grabbed Sannah's hand, pulling her towards it. They both jumped on board, followed a second later by Durron and Master Ikrit. Valin let go of Sannah's hand and raced into the cockpit area, grinning at Anakin and Tahiri -- then skidded to a halt when he spotted the third occupant.
A raggedy young man scowled at him from the navigator's chair, his light hair dishevelled and stony grey eyes narrowed. He looked angry and indignant, but Valin could sense his uncertainty, his fear, and something more -- something like betrayal. He wasn't sure.
"Who-" he started, then shook his head and ran up to Anakin and Tahiri. "What's the plan?" he asked instead.
Anakin glanced back at him, distracted. "Is everyone on the ship?" he asked, ignoring Valin's question. He probably just hadn't heard it.
"Yeah, Sannah, Master Ikrit, Durron-"
"Master Durron, kid," came the man's voice from behind him, and Valin tried not to jump. He hadn't sensed him, which wasn't a good thing. He really had to work on that awareness thing one day. "What's going on, Anakin? Are we -- wait a second, you brought one of the Peace Brigaders?"
"Get yourselves strapped in," Anakin ordered them all. "I'll explain in a second."
Valin and Sannah immediately found themselves seats -- Sannah, one beside the Peace Brigade pilot; Valin, the co-pilot's seat, since Tahiri was hovering at Anakin's other side -- but Master Ikrit crouched on the back of Anakin's chair, and Durron stood staring down at him in disbelief. "We're not taking him with us," he told Anakin flatly. Valin scowled.
"Take a seat, Kyp," Anakin told him, not looking away from the control panel.
"Not until you explain why we're keeping him aboard."
"We don't have time!" Anakin snapped, finally looking up at Kyp and glaring. "We're leaving now, with Vehn." A brief second passed, a moment of tension that Valin was sure he could see, never mind sense -- and then Durron scowled and leaned against the bulkhead, looking away from Anakin to stare at the Peace Brigade pilot.
Valin smirked to himself as Anakin lifted off, then winced as he heard something loud, something metallic, scrape and screech against the side of the vertical tunnel, making the whole ship shudder. Durron's eyes widened and he half-ran, half-leaped to the cockpit's entrance and the hatch beyond, hitting belatedly at the switch to close it. Nothing but a louder screeching followed.
"My ship!" the pilot -- Vehn -- howled, glaring blaster bolts at the back of Anakin's head. "The landing ramp! Idiots!"
"Why are we keeping him aboard?" Sannah asked quietly, and Valin snickered despite the severity of the situation.
"Uh, Anakin?" Tahiri's voice was uncertain, and Valin glanced sideways to see her staring up out of the cockpit. "We might have trouble."
"We'll make it, even with the ramp down," Anakin said determinedly, still flicking switches to try and do something about the obstruction. He glanced at Tahiri, then followed her gaze to look up at the pit, frowning slowly.
Valin glanced up too. Something was blocking the the morning light, something big and dark casting a shadow darker than the usual gloom in the grotto. "A ship," he said, wondering vaguely what kind of ship it was, and why it was blocking their way.
"They've moved the bigger freighter over the hole," Anakin said slowly. "Sithspit!"
"Don't panic," Ikrit murmured from his position on Anakin's shoulder. Valin looked at the Jedi Master in surprise, and saw that his eyes were closed, his ears flopping over Anakin's hair, and he was smiling softly. Then he added, "Keep flying."
"But Master, the ship--"
"Keep flying."
Anakin hesitated, then nodded and concentrated on the controls once again. Tahiri glanced at him and Ikrit, then looked back out at the shrinking light. Valin, too, turned his gaze back to the ship way above them -- and noticed that it seemed to be slowing down. In fact, he realised, it had stopped altogether, and he could almost feel the engines of it straining against some invisible force...or Force.
Valin grinned, and his appreciation of Ikrit jumped another notch -- now the ship was moving ever so slightly backwards, and there was a gap just large enough for Vehn's ship to fit through: aided by Anakin's superb piloting skills, of course. And they were out.
Sannah let out a whoop of celebration, and Valin echoed it, both young Jedi grinning as if everything was over and they were back home and safe. They were out of the grotto! That was it, right?
"Anakin," Tahiri whispered, pointing out of the viewport again.
"I know, I know."
"I'll get the turret," Kyp said grimly, turning to leave the cockpit.
Blinking, Valin frowned. He'd let his exhilaration get the better of him, hadn't he? And forgotten the main problem they were facing. Not the ship over the grotto at all...but the rest of them. The Peace Brigade in the area...