by Jude Watson
guys get all the good food?"
Obi-Wan held up his tea. "That's what dunking is for. Another Jedi
lesson for you."
Anakin tried to smile. It was the first light moment they had
exchanged since Yaddle's death. But a moment later, Anakin's face darkened
again.
Something is very wrong, Obi-Wan thought. It wasn't just the aftermath
of Yaddle's death. Why was it that whenever he needed to talk to his
Padawan, circumstances got in the way? There was always a mission to
complete, and then, these days, as soon as they were done, there was
somewhere else important to go, another crucial battle to fight.
Across the empty tables Obi-Wan spied Feeana Tala, slumped over a mug
of tea. This was a bit of luck. He could approach her informally. Sometimes
that was better when you were trying to hold on to a deal. It would be
easier to ensure the Senate's support if he could be sure Feeana would not
fold.
Feeana looked as tired as Euraana had. She waved Obi-Wan off as he
approached. "Go away."
Obi-Wan sat down, summoning up a cheerful smile. He motioned Anakin to
do the same. He dunked a piece of muffin into his tea. "Good morning to
you, too."
"Don't bother with the pleasantries," Feeana said. "I know why you're
here. You're going to tell me that my cooperation is essential in holding
the city. You're going to say that as a Mawan I owe it to my home planet.
You're going to say that if I take my gang and retreat belowground that
eventually I'll be imprisoned." She stirred her tea moodily. "I know all
those things. But I've got my soldiers out on the streets, and there's not
enough of them to hold the city against Striker - or Omega, as I hear his
name is. What am I supposed to do? Send them to their deaths?"
"I would not ask you to continue patrolling the city if I thought
that," Obi-Wan said. "I am not willing to sacrifice so many lives to get
what we need."
"But Decca and Omega - "
"We can handle Decca and Omega."
She placed her spoon down carefully. "So you say. And yet a Jedi
Master evaporated into dust particles just a few hours ago."
"Yaddle died in order to protect your soldiers and the people of
Mawan," Obi-Wan said sharply. "That should tell you how far the Jedi are
willing to go."
There was a short silence. Feeana sipped her tea and made a face.
"It's cold," she said. Then slowly, she nodded. "All right," she continued
quietly. "I'll remain."
With Feeana's cooperation and the promise of Yoda's arrival, Obi-Wan
was able to convince the Senate to aid Mawan. He found it difficult to keep
his temper cool and speak reasonably. He wanted to shout at everyone that
Yaddle had sacrificed herself for their peace and security, so the least
they could do was follow through. He knew that grief was making him short-
tempered. His heart was heavy, and he was angry, too, angry that Yaddle had
to die.
These were emotions he could not carry with him, for they would drag
him down. He had to absorb them and let them go. Yet he felt as though he
was struggling against a rising tide.
Anakin said so little. He could not get up the energy to address his
Padawan's need, either. And somewhere below, Granta Omega was biding his
time, concocting his plan for revenge, and he would surely try to exploit
Anakin's sadness for his own ends. Omega had already killed a member of the
Jedi Council. That had been his great goal, and he had achieved it.
How could Obi-Wan get rid of his anger when he knew of Omega's
satisfaction?
A silver streak in the sky told them that Yoda was arriving. They were
on the lookout for it, and they hurried toward the landing site. The day
had dawned gray and cold. A sudden dip in temperature had kept most beings
inside. It was a lucky break. If Feeana's security patrols didn't have to
worry about petty crime, it would be easier to keep them at their posts.
Yoda alighted from the cruiser. His gaze immediately went to Anakin.
"First, see it, I must."
Anakin nodded. He knew immediately what Master Yoda was asking. Yoda
wanted to see the place where Yaddle had died.
For long moments, Yoda stood underneath the spot where Yaddle's life
had ended. He leaned his head back as if to taste the air. He closed his
eyes as if to feel the presence that still lingered. Obi-Wan imagined that
he was saying a private, final good-bye to the friend he'd had for so long.
He turned away, wanting to give Yoda the moment. Anakin's gaze rested on
the ground.
At last Yoda turned. "Ready, I am," he said.
They headed back toward the command center. They found Swanny and Rorq
waiting for them, sitting on the steps. They stood as the Jedi approached.
"Bad news," Swanny said. "Decca and Omega have settled their feud.
They've formed an alliance."
"I was afraid of this," Obi-Wan said.
"It gets worse. Now Omega has access to Decca's fleet, and Decca has
access to Omega's weapons. They are planning an assault on the city."
"We have no way to protect the city," Obi-Wan told Yoda. "All we have
are security patrols."
"Then prevent the attack we must," Yoda said. "The strengths they have
are transports and weaponry? Then strengths we must attack."
"I'm getting tired of saying that's impossible," Swanny said. "But
this time, it really is. Decca just got a big shipment of fuel. It was part
of the partnership deal - Omega supplied it. They just brought it below."
"A shipment of fuel," Obi-Wan murmured. "That might help us."
Swanny looked at him, incredulous. "I don't see how. But I have a
feeling I will."
"Keep the information about the alliance quiet for now," Obi-Wan said.
"If Feeana gets wind of this - "
"Uh, I think it might be too late," Rorq said. He pointed to the
distance, where Feeana was striding toward them, an angry look on her face.
"They have formed an alliance!" she exclaimed as she walked up.
"We know," Obi-Wan said.
"And you are just standing here?" she demanded. "A suggestion, you
have for us?" Yoda asked mildly.
She noticed him for the first time. "Who's this?" "Jedi Master Yoda,"
Obi-Wan said. "One of our most esteemed Masters."
"Whatever," Feeana said. "Maybe he can tell me what I should do when
Omega and Decca attack my troops with transports and missile tubes?"
"Stop the attack before it starts, we will," Yoda said. "How?" Feeana
demanded. "If you expect me to cooperate, I need more to go on."
"Just trust us," Obi-Wan said. "We need you to patrol all the airlift
tube exits. As soon as we have control belowground, we will contact you."
"I guess I have no choice," Feeana said.
"Choice, you always have," Yoda told her. "But the best one this is."
A struggle still on her face, Feeana strode away.
"Well, I guess we'll just say good-bye and good luck," Swanny said,
beginning to head off. Obi-Wan caught him by his collar.
"Not so fast," he said. "You're coming with us."
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Anakin was glad to go be
lowground. Being under the open sky where
Yaddle had died had affected him. The sky had seemed to hang over him,
pressing against his shoulder blades. Below in the tunnels, he felt safer.
Revenge was on his mind, and it frightened him. He hated Granta Omega,
hated him with a burning rage that threatened to go out of control. He was
grateful that Yoda had joined them. The presence of the great, perhaps the
greatest, Jedi Master was as deep and huge as Anakin's rage. Surely it
would keep his anger in check. He would look to his Master and Yoda for the
control he needed.
He knew that Yoda and Obi-Wan also felt anger and grief. He saw it in
their eyes, felt it in the air around them, noted it in the way they moved
and spoke. Yet they were not deflected from their mission. He had watched
in awe as they exchanged information. Their shared glances told him that
they had both come up with the same plan, at the same time. Yoda was
obviously grief-stricken, yet he had traveled here to finish a job that
Yaddle had begun, and he would let nothing stand in his way, not even his
own sorrow.
He had been so wrong, Anakin thought suddenly. On Andara, he had
briefly imagined what it could be like to have no Master, no Council to
answer to. But he needed the Council. He needed his Master. They showed him
how far he had to go.
Their inner calm was something he desperately wanted. He would learn,
he promised himself. On every mission he was brought up short and shown
what he needed to concentrate on. But he would learn.
If I can get Obi-Wan's trust back.
Anakin felt as though he were drowning. Drowning in his guilt.
Everything had changed for him now. Master Yaddle had died before his eyes,
and it had marked him forever. He knew that as firmly as he knew his own
name. As surely as he knew he would do anything now to be a Jedi Knight.
"Okay, here we are," Swanny said, standing in front of a map of the
wastewater transport system. "What do you have in mind? Are you going to
flood the fuel depot?"
"We'd never get away with that," Obi-Wan said. "Too many people
around. I had something else in mind." He pointed to the map. "Here's
Decca's fuel depot. Where are the fuel storage tanks?"
Rorq pointed to a spot several levels above. "Here. The fuel is pumped
into a big storage tank here, then into the individual tanks in the depot."
Obi-Wan turned to Swanny. "Is there anyplace where the wastewater
pipes come close to the fueling pipes between storage and the depot?"
"Sure," Swanny said. "The pipes run this way and cross the wastewater
pipes here." He stabbed at a spot on the map.
"Where is that?" Obi-Wan asked. "Is it in Omega's or Decca's
territory?"
"No, it's close to where the Mawan tent city was," Swanny said. He
whistled. "I think I'm getting this." "Is it possible?" Obi-Wan asked.
"We'd have to cut through the pipes and do some hydro-welding," Swanny
said. "But that's like a walk in the park for us."
"It's almost too simple," Rorq marveled.
Yoda nodded. "The best plan, the simple one is," he said.
Anakin saw what Yoda and Obi-Wan had already figured out on the
surface. Decca's fleet would fuel in the depot. But if they could replace
the fuel with wastewater before it reached the depot, she would fill her
transports with water instead of fuel. That would immobilize them
completely. Even if they pumped out the tanks, it would take them days to
dry out. Any water in the fuel would cause problems with the engines. It
was beautifully simple.
"We'll need to know if they start refueling, though," Swanny said. "If
we're working on the pipes at the same time, we could end up hip-deep in
fuel."
"We'll keep an eye on the fueling depot," Obi-Wan said. "Anakin will
be sure to protect you while you work." Obi-Wan spoke to Anakin. "As soon
as Swanny and Rorq are done, join us at the fuel depot."
Anakin nodded. He was glad to have a task, even if it was only
guarding Swanny and Rorq.
They split up. Anakin followed Swanny and Rorq through the tunnels
toward the designated spot. Swanny stopped at a utility shed that had a
serious locking device wrapped around the door.
"We need tools," Swanny said. "We'll have to break into this. It could
take a while. If I had a fusioncutter I could break in, but the
fusioncutter is in the shed."
"Not a problem," Anakin said. He activated his lightsaber and cut
through the metal door in less than a second.
"I've got to stop underestimating you guys," Swanny said.
He and Rorq reached in and grabbed what they needed. Then they hurried
on. They reached the designated spot and Swanny and Rorq began to work.
Rorq opened a small door set into the tunnel wall. Behind it was a crawl
space that was crisscrossed with pipes.
"You sure you know which is which?" Anakin asked.
"Do I ask you if you know your job?" Swanny asked.
"All the time."
"Oh. True. Well, trust me." With a grunt, Swanny closed the valve on a
pipe, then began to cut through the metal with a macrofuser.
The minutes ticked by. Anakin shifted from one foot to another. His
comlink signaled, and he answered it.
"Decca's crew has arrived. They're going to start fueling," Obi-Wan
said. "How close are they to finishing?"
Anakin asked Swanny, who held up three fingers.
"Three minutes."
"Make it two," Obi-Wan said.
"Almost," Swanny said, fitting a short length of pipe between the two
pipes they had been working on. "We just need to fuse" - he bent over with
the macro-fuser - "and seal.."
"Hurry," Obi-Wan said. "They've released the hoses."
"... one more second..."
"They're starting..."
"Done!" Swanny exclaimed. He slumped against the pipe.
Rorq patted it. "Let's hope this baby holds," he said. Anakin felt a
drop of sweat trickle from his neck and down his back.
He heard the gush of liquid through the pipes. Swanny and Rorq kept
their hands on the pipe, listening.
"That'll be the wastewater," Swanny whispered, as if Decca and her
gang could hear. He patted the pipe. "The seal is holding."
"Looks like it's a go," Anakin said into his comlink. "I'm on my way."
Leaving Swanny and Rorq with the pipes, Anakin raced along the
tunnels. He found Obi-Wan and Yoda hidden behind a speeder directly inside
the entrance to the depot.
"They've almost finished fueling," Obi-Wan said.
Anakin saw Decca lumber into the depot and speak to her pilots. The
technicians ran back and forth, replacing the heavy hoses and making last-
minute checks.
The pilots left Decca and hurried to their transports.
The first pilot started up the engine. It coughed and died. The next
fired his up. Another cough, a sputter, and the engine wound down. One
after the other, the transport engines whined and sputtered out.
"What is happening?" Decca roared in Huttese.
"We've been sabotaged!" one of the pilots said. "Engine checklight
says the fuel tanks have a foreign substa
nce in them."
"Granta has double-crossed me!" Decca bellowed. "Ah," Yoda murmured.
"Suspicion among thieves, one can count on always."
Decca turned to the Kamarian by her side. "Send the seeker droid.
We'll find that slimy monkey-lizard and take every weapon he has. We'll
crush him!"
"Time I think to take the speeder," Yoda said.
Obi-Wan slipped into the pilot seat while Yoda hopped in behind and
Anakin jumped in the passenger side. They kept their heads low. Obi-Wan
started the engine and quietly zoomed out of the depot. He idled outside,
and the seeker droid appeared a moment later. It darted down the tunnel
like a fast-moving bird.
Obi-Wan gunned the motor, and they took off. It was easy to keep the
seeker droid in their sights. Decca could not move very fast, but no doubt
she was gathering her troops to follow the trail of the seeker wherever it
ended up.
The seeker suddenly slowed, so Obi-Wan did the same. It hung in the
air, which meant it was keeping its target in sight without alerting him to
