Chairman Port turned. His face was singed. With one hand he protected the injured arm that hung awkwardly at his side. Being careful not to hurt his broken arm, Grath stepped close to his father. They did not speak but instead embraced using their antennae, letting their feelers entwine, assuring each other that they were going to be all right.
Obi-Wan hurried toward Qui-Gon. He was relieved to see his Master was not injured, but the Jedi did not embrace. The look on Qui-Gon's face stopped Obi-Wan in his tracks. Tray's grandmother was the figure on the ground. Her eyes were closed and there was blood on her face.
Tray dropped to her knees beside her grandmother, unable to speak.
'She's going to be fine,' Qui-Gon said softly. 'She was hit on the head by a small piece of falling debris on her way out of the building.'
The old woman's eyes fluttered open and she reached out for her granddaughter. Tray took her hand, but her face remained a mask of horror.
Obi-Wan knew she was blaming herself.
Qui-Gon put his hand on Tray's shoulder. 'Your grandmother is a brave woman.'
Tray looked gratefully at Qui-Gon through tear-filled eyes. He returned her gaze reassuringly before turning to Obi-Wan.
'Thanks to your warning almost everyone was able to get out of the building in time.'
'Almost everyone?' Obi-Wan asked. Qui-Gon did not need to say anything else. Obi-Wan knew who had been left inside. 'Flip,' he said quietly, not wanting to upset Tray further. But she overheard.
'No!' Tray sobbed. 'No, not Flip. We've got to find him. We've got to get him out.'
Obi-Wan nodded solemnly. Of course they needed to find Flip. He only hoped they would find him alive.
Grath shouted and waved the growing group of Freelies to the corner of what had been the front of the Multycorp annex.
'There's a sound coming from the basement,' he explained. 'We have to get in there.'
The team of laborers had searched the rubble for only a few minutes before they first heard the soft pinging. It could have been a piece of machinery still trying to operate. It could have been a wild creature. Or it could have been Flip.
A dozen large laborers gathered together and pushed with all of their strength on a heavy beam that blocked access to the basement level. It didn't move.
'Lift together,' Grath shouted. 'On three.'
Several of the laborers looked skeptically at the young Freelies. But they made room for them around the beam.
'One, two, three,' Grath counted. Working together, the group lifted the beam, easily sliding it over until they'd created an opening about a meter wide.
'Brace the side,' Grath shouted.
The opening wasn't much, but it was big enough for Obi-Wan to squeeze through. 'Hurry, Obi-Wan,' Grath urged as the young Jedi began to lower himself into the darkened basement. He didn't need to ask twice. Obi-Wan knew that the remains of the Multycorp annex were unstable at best. Even with the beam braced over the entrance, the chance of a collapse was great. And if Flip was still alive his time could be limited.
Obi-Wan paused a moment, letting his eyes adjust to the darkness. He listened for the pinging. It seemed to be coming from a spot ahead of him and to the left. It was getting less frequent.
Suddenly dirt and pebbles poured down onto Obi-Wan's head.
'Look out,' called a voice above him. 'I'm coming with you.'
The light from the opening was blocked for a moment. Then Tray dropped down beside Obi-Wan.
'The noise is coming from over there,' Obi-Wan pointed. He started to lead the way but Tray rushed past him.
'Flip?' she yelled. 'Flip? Hang on, we're coming.' The Vorzydiak girl ducked around a large piece of machinery. She moved quickly and easily in the cramped quarters and disappeared from view. But Obi-Wan could still hear her calling to her friend.
'Flip? Flip!' Tray's exclamation left no doubt that she had found the boy. Obi-Wan pushed past a pile of rubble to join them.
'Flip,' Tray repeated more quietly. Together Obi-Wan and Tray heaved the piece of durasteel bracing that pinned Flip to the floor off his chest.
Dropping down beside him, Tray took the boy's hand. She loosened his grip on the scrap of durasteel he'd been pounding on the brace as a distress signal.
Except for a large bruise on his forehead, Flip appeared to be okay.
But even though the brace was no longer holding him down, he couldn't get up. Watching him struggle to get enough air to speak, Obi-Wan realized that he was in bad shape. Flip coughed and winced in pain.
'Lie down,' Obi-Wan instructed. 'Don't try to move or speak. Then he turned to Tray. 'Stay with him while I get the medics.'
As Obi-Wan made his way back to the basement opening he heard Tray speaking softly.
'I'm so sorry,' she whispered. A sob caught in her throat. 'I was wrong.'
