Harry Potter and the Boy From Tatooine - Chapter 34 - Boom

The sun had begun to dip below the horizon by the time Harry and Obi-Wan arrived at the abandoned base where Harry had been held captive. The facility, hidden within a desolate part of one of the industrial areas of the city, had an eerie stillness to it.

The entrance was unguarded, its doors left ajar, revealing a dark corridor beyond. Obi-Wan activated a glowrod, casting dim illumination over the cold durasteel walls. There was no sign of life, no discarded equipment, no forgotten data terminals humming in standby mode—nothing but the faint hum of the wind against the structure.

They advanced cautiously, Harry keeping his senses stretched for any trace of lingering presence, any whisper of the Force that might betray a hidden clue. But there was nothing. Jaxar’s men had apparently been quite thorough.

For over an hour, they searched. Every room had been emptied, every console wiped clean, every trace of occupation erased. Even the storage room where Harry had seen the corthalon secured was now bare, its shelves pristine as if they had never held anything at all.

Harry frowned, running his fingers along one of the walls. “There’s nothing here,” he muttered angrily. “Jaxar’s men covered their tracks too well. This doesn’t add up.”

Obi-Wan, kneeling beside a terminal, stood before turning around and looking at him and nodded. “It does appear to be a professional job. There’s no residual data, no traceable energy signatures, nothing. If it wasn’t for your story I wouldn’t find it unreasonable if someone said they were never here.”

Harry turned to him. “These guys were thorough. Too thorough. And yet, the same crew that did such a meticulous job here just happened to mess up with the corthalon? A mistake that just happened to give CorSec the opportunity to track them? They had to have known that CorSec would be monitoring for it." He shook his head. "It doesn’t make sense."

Obi-Wan regarded him for a long moment, his expression unreadable as he considered his words. Eventually he released a large sigh as he nodded and replied, “Perhaps the issue was that they were moving in a hurry after you escaped. Or perhaps they relocated to a site that wasn’t properly secured.”

Harry exhaled through his nose, mulling that over. It was a fair point. His own escape had probably sent Jaxar’s men into a scramble, forcing them to move quickly and possibly make mistakes. But still … something about it didn’t sit right with him. He folded his arms, as he looked at Obi-Wan. “Maybe. But something about this still feels off.”

Obi-Wan glanced around the barren room before turning back to him, a slight smile on his face as he gave him a knowing look. “Perhaps there is a lesson here for you to learn, you know. One that applies to more than just fleeing criminals.”

Harry raised an eyebrow. “Oh?”

“Rushing can lead to mistakes,” Obi-Wan said simply.

Harry exhaled. “I get it. Don’t rush. Be careful. Do things properly.”

Obi-Wan nodded approvingly before his gaze drifted to one of the inactive holoscreens on the wall. He studied it for a second, then turned back to Harry. “Still,” he admitted, “you may have a point. It does seem suspicious that even if they had been in a hurry they would have made a mistake like that.”

He reached for his communicator, flipping it on. “I’ll call in our concerns to Captain Falco. I learned a long time ago that if something doesn’t feel right, it’s worth investigating." He pressed the activation button and waited.

Static greeted him. He frowned and adjusted the frequency, but the device remained unresponsive. After another few attempts, he sighed and shook his head as he sighed. “Strange.”

Harry raised an eyebrow. "Something wrong?"

Obi-Wan shook his head and gave the device a small shake, as if that would help. “There shouldn’t be interference here. Looks like we need to step outside for a signal.”

Harry followed as Obi-Wan led the way back through the corridors, their footfalls echoing in the unnatural quiet as they moved swiftly. Their goal was simple—get outside, reestablish communication, and report their concerns to Captain Falco.

But as they turned a corner, Harry’s steps faltered. The doorway to his left stood open, revealing a room he had hoped never to see again.

The table remained in the center, the metal restraints hanging limply from its sides. The overhead light flickered slightly, casting long shadows along the walls. The sight of it sent a chill down Harry’s spine. His body tensed involuntarily, and though he knew he was free, safe, he felt a slight twitch of pain.

Obi-Wan, noticing his hesitation, stopped beside him. His gaze followed Harry’s to the table, and understanding dawned on his face.

A heavy silence stretched between them before Obi-Wan placed a reassuring hand on Harry’s shoulder. "I’m sorry that you had to experience something like that, Harry," he said quietly. His voice carried a rare softness, his usual composure tinged with regret. "It was a failing on my part as your master that you were captured … and even worse that I was unable to find you. But I promise, I will do everything in my power to never let anything like that happen again."

Harry swallowed, forcing himself to breathe steadily. He had already come to terms with what had happened—or at least, that’s what he told himself. He nodded. "I’m alright," he said, though the slight tremor in his voice betrayed him. "I’ve been through worse."

Obi-Wan’s eyes sharpened at that, his concern evident in the slight furrow of his brow. But Harry didn’t linger. He turned and started down the hallway, eager to put distance between himself and the memories that lurked in that room.

However, just as he took a few steps forward, a thought struck him like a bolt of lightning.

His body stiffened, his breath hitching, and he froze mid-step.

Obi-Wan, following closely behind, barely stopped himself from colliding into him. He pulled up short, blinking in surprise. "Harry?" he questioned.

Harry turned around slowly, his expression thoughtful, his mind racing. "I just remembered something," he murmured.

Obi-Wan gave him a curious nod, signaling for him to continue.

Harry took a steadying breath before speaking. "During the …" He hesitated, then forced himself to say it. "During the interrogation with Jaxar."

Obi-Wan visibly winced at the word, his jaw tightening. But he didn’t interrupt.

Harry pressed on. "He asked me what I knew about their plans concerning the 'Day of Joining'."

Obi-Wan’s crossed his arms, nodding thoughtfully. "You mentioned that during the debrief and it honestly makes sense and fits with the evidence we uncovered earlier." He exhaled slowly. "But that doesn’t narrow things down much. There will be events all over the planet, and the senator is scheduled to appear at no fewer than a dozen of them."

Harry nodded, his mind still sifting through fragments of memory. And then, another detail surfaced. His eyes widened slightly. "Jaxar also mentioned the parade."

Obi-Wan’s head snapped toward him, his expression shifting from contemplation to something almost resembling a smile. "Well," he said, "that certainly narrows it down." Obi-Wan stroked his chin in thought. "There are still a lot of unknowns. The corthalon could be hidden inside one of the floats, planted along the route, or even dropped from the sky." His gaze flicked back to Harry, a spark of approval in his eyes. "But this lead is significant. Perhaps something useful can come of it."

He clapped Harry lightly on the shoulder. "We should definitely pass this along to Captain Falco as well." His tone was lighter now, carrying a hint of encouragement. "Good work, Harry."

"I’m sorry I didn’t remember earlier," he said.

Obi-Wan nodded and gestured forward. "Come on. Let’s move. The sooner we get out of here, the sooner we can start to act on this information."

Together, they quickened their pace, making their way toward the exit. The dark corridors of the abandoned base no longer held them captive. They had uncovered a critical piece of the puzzle. Now, it was time to act.

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The night air was crisp as Harry and Obi-Wan emerged from the facility, leaving behind the cold emptiness of Jaxar’s abandoned base. The city skyline flickered in the distance, neon lights reflecting off the clouds above. Even from the distance, it was a stark contrast to the desolation they had just left behind.

They moved quickly toward their speeder, parked a short distance away in the shadows of a dilapidated warehouse. As Obi-Wan slid into the driver's seat, he pulled out his communicator and activated it, opening the direct line to Captain Falco.

A crackle of static preceded the sound of her gruff, no-nonsense voice. "Falco here. What’ve you got for me, Kenobi?"

Obi-Wan wasted no time. "We have reason to believe that the attack planned for the Day of Joining might be connected to the parade."

There was a brief pause before Falco responded. "The parade, huh?" She let out a thoughtful hum. "That actually makes a hell of a lot of sense. The crowd, the spectacle … plenty of places to plant something nasty. Good work. I’ll pass this along to my second-in-command and he can start diverting agents to look into this lead."

Obi-Wan nodded. "Can you provide us with the parade route? We’d like to investigate it as well."

Silence stretched over the communicator for a few seconds as she took her time to reply. Finally, she exhaled and replied, "That’s a big ask, Jedi. The actual route was supposed to be kept quiet until the day of the event to prevent any planned attack."

She hesitated before continuing, her voice carrying a hint of reluctant acknowledgment. "But … obviously someone managed to get access to CorSec and we have no idea what else they did. If security’s already been compromised and there is a risk this information had made its way to Jaxar already, then keeping the route hidden from you isn’t gonna do much good. And even if they didn’t get the full details, there are certain locations that any local in the city would know that the parade has to to pass through. Maybe knowing the route will help you out."

There was another brief pause before she spoke again, this time with firm resolve. "I’ll have the route sent to your communicator as soon as we finish this call."

"Thank you, Captain," Obi-Wan said sincerely.

"Anything else?" Falco asked, ever to the point.

"Yes," Obi-Wan said, shifting slightly in his seat. "We have concerns about how thoroughly Jaxar’s men wiped the facility. There were no traces of corthalon anywhere, even though they were clearly using the place for storage. But then, all of a sudden, after who knows how long they had been stockpiling the material, they just happened to make a mistake when CorSec needed to track them? It doesn’t sit right with me."

Harry, listening closely, nodded in agreement. The more he thought about it, the less sense it made.

Falco’s response was immediate. "I hear you and Master Cerulian actually raised the same concern with me before I left the base—and I’ll admit, something doesn’t add up. But I don’t have a choice but to chase this lead."

She started to say something else when a sudden muffled noise came through the communicator—something that sounded like a voice speaking urgently but was too garbled to make out.

Then, silence.

Harry and Obi-Wan exchanged a tense glance.

"Falco?" Obi-Wan asked.

The silence stretched for a few more seconds before her voice came back, now edged with tension. "One of our techs just picked up something. A faint trail of corthalon."

Obi-Wan sat up straighter. "Where?"

Falco exhaled sharply, as if still processing the news herself. "In the courtyard we had narrowed the signal from earlier down to. This trail is too faint to show up on the planet-wide scan, but our local scanners picked it up. Looks like it’s leading away from here in the direction of one of the residential districts."

Harry and Obi-Wan shared another look—one of suspicion.

Something wasn’t right.

But before Obi-Wan could respond, Captain Falco’s voice came through the communicator again, firm and unwavering.

"Kenobi, I don’t need you to say it," she said. "I know what you’re thinking, and I agree—it stinks. This whole thing feels like a setup. But I don’t have the luxury of ignoring it, so we’re going to follow this lead, even if it’s nothing more than a distraction."

She exhaled sharply, as if steadying herself. "I understand your concerns, and trust me, I have my own. But I can’t afford to dismiss this without investigating. If I’m being played, I want to know who’s holding the cards. And just on the off chance that this is legitimate, we can’t risk ignoring it."

Her voice softened, just slightly. "You two be safe out there. If you find anything on your end, report it to me immediately—I’ll have my communicator on me at all times. And unless something big comes up, I’ll answer."

Obi-Wan nodded, even though she couldn’t see him. "Understood. Thank you, Captain. Be careful."

Falco grunted. "You too, Kenobi. Falco out."

The communicator clicked off, leaving Obi-Wan and Harry alone in the quiet hum of the city night.

Obi-Wan lowered the device and turned toward Harry. His expression was contemplative, his gaze drifting past Harry to the skyline beyond. "Well," he said finally, "that seems either very unfortunate for Jaxar or very convenient for Captain Falco."

Harry nodded, the same thought weighing heavily on his mind.

Obi-Wan’s brow furrowed. "Jaxar’s men were meticulous in covering their tracks at the facility. Yet, suddenly, there’s a faint trail for CorSec’s scanners to pick up? That doesn’t strike me as a luck."

Harry exhaled slowly, running a hand through his hair. "If Jaxar’s people made a mistake, it would be an incredibly convenient one," he said. "But if this is a setup, then someone wants Falco and CorSec looking the wrong way."

Obi-Wan remained silent for a moment, still staring into the city. The night was alive with the distant hum of speeders and the occasional flicker of neon lights. Finally, he shook his head. "We can’t jump to conclusions yet. But we need to be careful—whoever is behind this is playing a very deliberate game."

Harry crossed his arms. "So what do we do now?"

Obi-Wan turned back to him, his sharp blue eyes meeting Harry’s. "We follow our own lead," he said. "The parade. If this attack is happening there, we need to know how, when, and where. If this corthalon trail is a distraction, then that means the real plan is still in motion."

Harry nodded, feeling the weight of their next move settle over him. "Then we better get moving."

Obi-Wan offered a small smile, though his eyes remained serious. "Indeed."

With that, Obi-Wan and Harry climbed into the speeder, the cool night air rushing past them as they lifted off from the abandoned facility. The hum of the repulsorlifts filled the silence between them, both lost in thought. They had barely gotten underway when Obi-Wan’s communicator chimed, the small screen flickering to life with a new incoming transmission.

A map of the parade route appeared, the display highlighting the streets, key intersections, and various marked locations.

Obi-Wan glanced at Harry.

Harry was already nodding. "We should go check it out—see if anything stands out."

Obi-Wan chuckled lightly at Harry’s eagerness but gave a satisfied nod in return. "Agreed." Without hesitation, he merged the speeder into a busier traffic lane, falling into the flow of late-night commuters before angling them toward the start of the parade route.

For the next three hours, they flew back and forth over the entire path of the upcoming parade, carefully noting key locations where an attack could be staged. The route weaved through the heart of the city, passing grand plazas, government buildings, and densely packed residential districts. It was designed for maximum visibility—a public spectacle meant to draw crowds from all walks of life.

However, Harry had no doubt that it would also be a security nightmare.

As they moved along the route for the third time, Harry and Obi-Wan identified several potential danger zones including both skyway overpasses. Several narrow roads through older parts of the city, and the Grand Civic Plaza where the parade would conclude with the senator giving a speech.

However, despite their search, they found nothing that immediately stood out as a definitive threat. There were no signs of Jaxar’s men, no hidden weapons caches, and no evidence of corthalon being planted anywhere.

As the hours passed, frustration began to creep in.

"There’s nothing here," Harry muttered as they came to a rest over the Grand Civic Plaza for the third time. "If there’s an attack being planned here, they’re either being very careful, or we’re looking in the wrong places."

Obi-Wan stroked his chin thoughtfully. "We might be too early. If Jaxar’s people are smart, they won’t move anything into position until much closer to the event, likely the night before or the day of. Security sweeps will be constant in the days leading up to it." He exhaled. "The important thing is we identified several areas of concern. We can get fresh eyes on this in the morning. For now, let’s get some rest."

Harry’s stomach growled loudly, and he gave Obi-Wan a sheepish grin.

Obi-Wan chuckled. "And perhaps something to eat as well. We will need our energy as we can spend tomorrow walking the entire route on foot. If we missed anything from the air, we should be able to see it then."

Turning the speeder away from the parade route, he guided them back toward their accommodations—a small, temporary residence CorSec had arranged for them as the other apartment was no more. The city lights blurred past as they traveled, the hum of the engines filling the quiet night.

Obi-Wan guided the speeder through the winding streets of Coronet City, the glow of neon signs and towering buildings reflecting in the dark windows. Harry sat back in his seat, his eyes tracing the skyline, still buzzing from the activity of the night.

But as they traveled further from the parade route and toward their temporary apartment, Harry's attention began to shift. A strange feeling crept over him—an unease. He fought the urge to shiver as the sensation deepened, and an ominous disturbance in the Force wrapped itself around him.

His eyes darted nervously across the skyline, searching for anything out of place. Nothing. The lights of Coronet flickered in the distance, just like they always did. Yet that feeling ... it wouldn’t leave.

Harry turned his gaze to Obi-Wan, hoping for some reassurance. To his surprise, Obi-Wan wasn’t as calm as usual. His usually steady, controlled expression was focused and alert, his eyes scanning the city’s skyline more intently than Harry had ever seen the last time he had looked over. The serene look was gone and he now looked like a man on edge, his posture significantly stiffer.

Obi-Wan noticed Harry’s stare and turned to meet his eyes, a grim understanding passing between them. "You feel it too, my young Padawan?" he said quietly. His voice, though calm, held a thread of concern.

Harry nodded, his stomach twisting. "What is it, Master? What’s happening?"

Obi-Wan didn’t immediately answer. Instead, he slowed the speeder, his gaze locking on something distant, something that neither of them could quite place but both could feel. The disturbance in the Force had settled into something darker, more pressing, like a weight on the chest.

Before Obi-Wan could say anything, a deafening explosion suddenly tore through the city, shaking the very air around them. The speeder jolted under the shockwave, throwing Harry back into his seat as the skyline was lit up.

Flames erupted into the sky, the orange glow reflecting off the buildings in a wild, chaotic display. And even from the distance they could see debris raining down from above, and the unmistakable sound of glass shattering.

Harry’s mouth dropped open, his breath stolen by the sight of the destruction. He stared in disbelief at the fireball blooming in the distance, watching the skyline twist and burn before his eyes. The Force screamed in warning, louder now.

"Master!" Harry exclaimed, turning to Obi-Wan, his voice trembling with shock. "What just happened?!"

Obi-Wan’s face was grim, his eyes narrowing with concern. Without a word, he immediately pulled out his communicator, flicking it to life with a practiced motion. "Falco, do you copy?" he called, his voice urgent.

The minutes stretched into eternity as they waited for a response. But as Obi-Wan repeated the call, the silence on the other end of the line remained thick and suffocating. Not even static.

"Captain Falco!" Obi-Wan tried again, his voice rising with increasing worry. "Answer me!"

Nothing. The communicator remained silent, the absence of any response more deafening than the explosion itself.

Obi-Wan’s brow furrowed deeply as he lowered the device, staring at it for a moment as if willing the communicator to somehow spring to life. But the screen remained dark, the silence on the other end crushing them both with a growing sense of dread.

Obi-Wan's voice was tight, his tone not as measured as it usually was. "This isn’t a coincidence," he muttered, more to himself than to Harry. His grip on the controls tightened, his knuckles white. "The explosion—this was no accident. And Captain Falco’s absence ... I fear something is terribly wrong."

Harry swallowed, his mind racing. "We need to get to the source of that explosion," he said, urgency lacing his words.

Obi-Wan nodded, shifting the speeder into a higher gear as they zoomed toward the epicenter of the explosion. The city’s streets blurred past them, and Harry felt his heart pounding in his chest. The skyline that had once seemed so majestic now felt like a twisted maze of looming shadows.

As they neared the source of the blast, the air around them thickened, the smell of smoke and ash filling their nostrils. The lights of the city seemed dimmer now, as if even Coronet itself had drawn back in fear from the event unfolding in front of them.

Kind Regards,

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Story Note 1 – Well that seems like a very appropriate place to end the chapter. Yikes! Can’t imagine everything is alright but as the eternal optimist I sure hope everyone is alright … but wouldn’t bet on it.

Story Note 2 – Any guesses on how the Day of Joining is going to shake out? Or is there even  a need for that attack anymore? Was Captain Falco right to follow up on this lead … is it a diversion … or was it a trap?

A large thanks to those of you out there who enjoy my stories, I promise to keep updating the stories as long as you all are enjoying them, and a special thanks to those of you who have taken the time to leave feedback or have reached out to me directly.

Disclaimer – It has come to my attention recently that I unfortunately do not own Harry Potter or Star Wars or their respective universes. Who knew.