Stormy Part Three Cyndi was only half-listening to the conversation as the whiphid explained to she and Z'ior what the Lords wanted them to do next. Although he never said so, it was obviously a spice pick-up. However, the young woman's attention was still held by the hover-car a few meters away, or rather, by the thought of it's tiny occupant in the backseat. "I'm so sorry, Stormy!" she thought, dangerously near tears. "I never wanted it to work out this way..." But sorry wasn't enough, not near enough. This was all her fault! She should have never taken him, and could not live with herself if she let this happen now. Never again would she be able to get a night's rest in which she did not see the specter of Obi-Wan's innocent eyes hanging in the darkness before her, or feel the phantom weight of his little body sleeping on her stomach. She couldn't let him die; he had barely begun to live! The thought came to her that she should find a Security Officer and tell them everything, but Cyndi quickly dismissed it. She had no idea where Nah'boor intended to take Obi-Wan, and by the time the Security could find them, it would be too late for the child. No, she was going to have to do something now, on her own, if she wanted to save Obi-Wan. Cyndi realized that all she would probably accomplish was getting herself killed as well, but that was better than living with the knowledge of the horrific thing she had done. The hover-car's engine sprung to life as the whiphid wrapped up his conversation with them. Cyndi knew she was going to have to do something fast. "I'll be right back," she said quietly to Z'ior as the whiphid headed back towards the hover-car. Before the Miith'yn could stop her, Cyndi walked right up to the big vehicle and knocked on one of the darkly tinted, back windowpanes. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Nah'boor held Obi-Wan's little arms so tight the child's hands were going numb, but the big Twi'Lek smiled because he could see that the little Jedi's will was crumbling. Of course, he had no intention of taking Obi-Wan back to the Jedi Temple, or anywhere else other than perhaps the bottom of a refuse shaft on one of Coruscant's lower levels. A knock on the window disrupted them and Nah'boor looked up with great annoyance to see that girl again, looking in at them. "What do you want?" the Twi'Lek snapped harshly as the window lowered with a mechanized whir. "Sorry," Cyndi said sheepishly. "The kid was playing with one of my earrings on the way over, I think he's still got it," she said, pulling on her naked, right ear and gesturing to the long, dangling pendant that hung from her left. Nah'boor huffed in irritation. Teenagers! He could have sworn that the girl had both earrings on when he had spoken to her just a few minutes ago. Before Nah'boor could protest, Cyndi reached in and turned Obi-Wan towards here. "Hey there, Stormy, you got my earring still?" she asked, using her search as an excuse to ease the child out of the Twi'Lek's grip. Obi-Wan looked puzzled. "But, Cyn'i..." he started to protest that he had never had her earring, but she cheerfully cut him off. "Ah, now, Stormy, no buts about it, I know you like it, but I've gotta have it back." Cyndi's heart was pumping unevenly and terror at the prospect of what she had decided to do clawed at her, but she was not going to give up now. Drawing up all the courage she could find, Cyndi's grip on Obi-Wan tightened and she suddenly pulled the child out through the window. "What is the meaning-?" Nah'boor started to demand, but Cyndi was already halfway inside the deserted warehouse, with Obi-Wan in her arms. The two whiphid bodyguards sprang out of the car like jack-in-the-boxes and blaster-fire followed Cyndi through the broken door. The condemned warehouse had been deserted for years and it's empty insides echoed hollowly, making Cyndi's footfalls echo loudly in it's voluminous interior. Seeing no chance for cover and no other way out down here, Cyndi threw herself up the stairs on the right at full tilt, knowing that her pursuers would not be far behind. Obi-Wan held onto Cyndi tightly, his eyes wide at this new development. He didn't know what to think. The last time Cyndi had taken him somewhere, she had taken him away from Master Embry and his home, but he desperately wanted to get away from the nasty Twi'Lek in the blue robes... The little Jedi decided that for now, the best course of action was to be quiet and hang on tight, there was little else he could do anyway. The upper level of the rotting warehouse was broken into a series of what had once been offices and executive departments. Reaching the top of the winding stair, Cyndi could hear the whiphids and probably Nah'boor too, clamoring up the stairs behind her, just out of sight. Swerving to the right to avoid a wild shot that barely missed her head, the teenager tried to lose herself in the maze of broken-down offices. Suddenly, Cyndi found herself face to face with a wall and in a room that had no exit but the one she had come in by. Turning back to run out of the dead end, she saw her pursuers burst into the office just beyond, coming fast. Quickly slamming the door, she locked it tightly, but knew that would not hold them for long. All they had to do was shoot the handle... Cyndi's mouth went dry. They were trapped. The room was littered with trash and broken down equipment, but nothing big enough to hide behind. A window in the wall on their left was broken, and big enough for them to fit through, but Cyndi took one look and knew she could never hope to jump safely from this high with Obi-Wan in her arms. Violent pounding shook the door and a quick blast melted the locking mechanism. In a desperate last ditch effort, Cyndi slid into a small storage closet, pulling the door shut just as Nah'boor and his two henchmen burst into the room. Cyndi closed her eyes and sank down the wall behind her until she was crouching in the far corner of the closet with Obi-Wan hugged close on her lap. Of course the Lords would look in here, it was an obvious choice. She was dead and she knew it, but at least she had tried...