Jedi Quest 1: The Way of the Apprentice (star wars)

by Jude Watson

  Chapter Six

  Galen picked up the Jedi Masters and brought them to the boundary line of the Clear Sector. An energy gate was ahead.

  "I'll enter the code, and you'll be able to pass through,"

  Galen said. "I'm sorry I can't give you the transport, but no vehicle can pass through the energy gate. You'll have to put on your bio-iso suits. I've managed to get a message through to Curi. You should be met on the other side for transport to Aubendo."

  "Thank you for all your help," Obi-Wan said. He gave a last look back at Tacto. Obi-Wan didn't second-guess decisions, but he suddenly wished Anakin were with him.

  The Jedi donned the bio-iso suits. The energy gate blinked green, and they walked through. They stood on a vast plain.

  There was only a smudge of gray on the horizon, an indication of the city ahead.

  After a few moments they saw a transport approaching. They recognized Galen's sister as the Radnoran female who was piloting the craft.

  She halted the craft near them, the repulsorlift engines keeping it slightly aloft. "You've brought the medication?"

  Ry-Gaul indicated the case at his side. "Here."

  "Thank the stars. Oh, I'm so sorry. What a way to greet you. I am Curi. I extend so many thanks to the Jedi for coming. Please board the craft."

  The Jedi swung themselves into the airspeeder. As Curi took off, they introduced themselves.

  "I'm in charge of the rescue operation here, such as it is," Curi said. "We are fighting a battle we cannot win."

  "You have many fatalities?" Obi-Wan asked.

  Curi gave him a bleak look, full of exhaustion and suffering. "Everyone in this sector is dead or dying. Only those who came in from the Clear Sector with bio-iso suits are healthy."

  The gray towers of the city rose before them. "We're almost there," Curi said. "We are passing over the underground canyons now."

  Below them, the ground was fissured with deep cracks that Obi-Wan could see led to a maze of canyons.

  "Radnorans are city dwellers," Curi explained. "We do not like open spaces. Perhaps some of us could have escaped the toxin if we weren't all in the same place."

  They reached the outskirts of the city. Curi slowed down as they went down a wide boulevard. It was deserted.

  Abandoned air taxis littered the street in haphazard groups.

  Cafes and businesses were shuttered and empty.

  There was no one on the streets. It was as though the Radnorans of this city had vanished. Obi-Wan had expected to see signs of panic, but the buildings and surroundings were intact.

  Everything would have seemed almost normal, except for the fact that there wasn't any sign of a living thing. Even the vegetation was dead. Flower beds were full of twisted stalks. A massive tree was bare of leaves, the spiky branches reaching out like pleading arms. They could see that once-flowering bushes meters tall had run down the center strip of the wide boulevard. Now dry leaves and blooms were kicked up by the wind.

  The Jedi were silent as they viewed the eerie sight. Obi- Wan had seen civil war and environmental disaster, but this felt worse. Even in his bio-iso suit, he imagined he could smell death in the air he breathed.

  Ahead they saw the large med center. Here, at least, there were signs of activity. They could see medics in bio-iso suits inside the courtyard.

  Curi pulled up the speeder, and they got out. The sound of his footsteps was unsettling to Obi-Wan. Encased in the white suit, his audio perception was muffled, making everything seem not quite real.

  Curi hurried over to a medic and handed over the medications. "We don't know if these will help," she said to the Jedi. "We are trying anything. Thank you for bringing them."

  She leaned against the wall, exhaustion showing in every line of her body.

  "You need rest," Soara said. Beneath her usual bluntness, Obi-Wan sensed real concern. He could see why. Curi looked ready to collapse.

  Yet somehow Curi reached down and called up a reserve of strength. She straightened and shook her head. "There can be no rest for me. Don't you know that? Not when I'm responsible for this." She looked over the city again. "For all of this horror," she whispered.

  "What do you mean?" Siri asked.

  "Didn't Galen tell you?" Curi sighed. "We own a research laboratory here. I run the financial side. Galen is the scientist. The toxic emission came from our lab. We still don't understand how it happened, though that doesn't make us any less responsible. Galen has been working day and night on the evacuation effort. He could have left long ago."

  "And you?" Obi-Wan asked.

  "I was in the Clear Sector, as was Galen, when we heard. I came here. I was trained as a medic originally. Here is where I was most needed."

  "It was brave of you to come," Soara said.

  Curi pressed her lips together. "It was the least I could do."

  "Have you investigated the leak at your lab?" Siri asked.

  Curi shook her head. "I didn't have time to review safety procedures, so I just ordered it shut down. It was clear very quickly that we were dealing with something that moved very fast. I came back when I knew we were running out of time to help the sick. We didn't realize that the sick would turn into the dying. We had no idea what to expect. Galen was involved in weapons development, you see. He was experimenting with the toxin for a future bio-weapon. He had no idea what he had."

  "What do you know about the toxin?"

  "We know more about what it isn't than what it is," Curi admitted. "We know it isn't a virus. It isn't a gas, but it has been carried through the air. Somehow it is absorbed into the system, but we aren't sure how. It could be through the skin. The particles are so microscopic that even a bacta bath would not clear it all away."

  "It doesn't seem that you have the same problems here that the Clear Sector does," Obi-Wan observed. "There's no sign of panic or noting."

  Curi nodded tiredly. "There was no time for panic. The dying cannot riot. Those who couldn't make it here to the med center are dying in their homes. I make the rounds. I do what I can. That is very little."

  "What other kind of help can we give you?" Siri asked.

  "You have brought the medicine. That was a great help.

  Perhaps you could patrol the city and find out how many still need help. I haven't been able to get to every dwelling. You can help us organize. People will listen to you. Once the ships arrive, they will have more advanced med care. We might be able to save a few. You have to give them hope, at least." Curi's voice faltered.

  Obi-Wan nodded, then turned to the others. "We should split into two teams. We can call two of the Padawans here, and two Masters can return to the Clear Sector."

  Ry-Gaul nodded.

  "We might be able to move another team back after accomplish something here," Soara said as Siri nodded in agreement.

  Curi looked from one Jedi to the other. "But you can't return."

  "What?" Soara asked.

  "Didn't Galen tell you? Once you cross over to the Isolation Sector, no one is allowed to return. It is forbidden. Until we know that you're not carrying the toxin back on your skin or clothes, we can't risk it."

  "We're wearing bio-isolation suits," Siri said.

  "Yes, but you can't wear them back to the Clear Sector,"

  Curi explained. "The toxin may now be on your suit. Even if you remove it, some residue on the suit may touch your skin.

  Until we know how much of the toxin is needed to cause the epidemic, we can't let you return." She looked at them helplessly. "I'm sorry. I thought you knew. When the evacuation ships arrive, you will be able to undergo bio- cleansing aboard ship. Then I imagine there will be a quarantine period. We don't have the facilities here."

  Obi-Wan looked at the other Jedi Masters. Curi's news was exasperating, but Jedi did not waste time on such emotions.

  He knew that, like him, they were all thinking of what to do next.

  "We should contact our Padawans with more detailed instructions," Soara spoke crisply.<
br />
  "They will have to handle any problems in Tacto," Siri said. "Perhaps we should contact the Jedi Council and ask for an additional Jedi team, or maybe two."

  "By the time they arrive, the evacuation ships will be here," Obi-Wan said. "The Padawans will have to handle things on their own."

  He could see that none of them liked this prospect. Some of the Masters had not had their Padawans very long. It made him uneasy to think of Anakin in an unstable situation without him. But there was no other solution.

  Obi-Wan activated his comlink. He was relieved when he heard Anakin's voice. He knew the communication between the two sectors could be difficult. That would be another problem.

  "We have a problem here," he told Anakin. "We are unable to return to the Clear Sector. You and the rest of the Padawans will have to manage that aspect of the mission."

  "I see," Anakin said neutrally.

  "The safety of the population is your first priority," Obi- Wan said. "Establish safety patrols to keep the peace. Try to keep misinformation from spreading. Coordinate with Galen as to the evacuation schedule. Avoiding using violence, and take no lives."

  "Yes, Master."

  "Now, as for details," Obi-Wan began, but suddenly, the communication was cut off. When he tried to con-ct Anakin again, he could not reach him. Obi-Wan hid frustration as he tucked his comlink back in his belt.

  "They'll be fine," Siri said. "I trust Ferus. He's been on many missions."

  "And I trust Anakin," Obi-Wan agreed. Still, a small voice inside him hoped that Anakin would be able to work well with the other Padawans without his watchful eye.

  "We'll try again later," Soara said. "In the meantime, we should split into teams."

  Obi-Wan glanced at Siri, and she nodded. There were many times that they had clashed in the past. But that did not matter. They had worked together before and knew each other's rhythms.

  "Obi-Wan and I will begin to search the city for more of the sick," Siri said.

  "We'll take the north sector," Obi-Wan said. "We need to compile lists so that we can assure there is space for everyone. We must make sure all the sick are evacuated.

  We'll check in when we can."

  Ry-Gaul nodded.

  "May the Force be with you," Soara said.

  "May the Force be with you," Obi-Wan and Siri repeated.

  They turned toward the eerie emptiness of the city and began their walk toward death.

  Chapter Seven

  The Padawans had just left the med center when Obi-Wan contacted Anakin. They had remained to make sure that the Radnoran father would be all right. They had questioned the family, but no one knew the raiders. They had arrived out of nowhere. Other families in the neighborhood had been hit, too, so they'd been worried that they would be attacked. But there was no way to defend themselves against the prototype droids.

  The four Padawans paused on the outside of the med center.

  Suddenly, they felt very alone.

  "I spend half my time impatient to be a Jedi Knight,"

  Darra said finally. "Now all I want is to be a Padawan. I wish Soara were here." She reached into the pocket of Tru's tunic and withdrew the bag of candy he kept there. She popped a piece of figda in her mouth and chewed furiously.

  "We'll do fine," Anakin said confidently.

  "No stress," Ferus agreed. The expression in his dark eyes was serene. "Among all of us, we've been on enough missions to handle this."

  "How should we start?" Tru asked. "Did they want all of us to go on safety patrols? Or should one team coordinate with Galen on the evacuation?"

  "Obi-Wan didn't say," Anakin answered. "But if you ask me, safety patrols won't accomplish much if we don't flush out the raiders."

  "Hold it," Ferus said. "That would be overstepping our instructions."

  "We've received no clear directions," Anakin pointed out.

  "The communication cut out. We know our first priority is the safety of the citizens, and we can't possibly accomplish that with safety patrols alone."

  "You don't know that for sure," Ferus said.

  Darra looked from Anakin to Ferus. "Excuse me. I don't want to interrupt, but I just wanted to point out that there are two other Padawans here. Do we get a vote?"

  "Sure you get a vote," Anakin said. "As long as you agree with me." He smiled to let her know he was kidding.

  "What do you have in mind?" Tru asked Anakin. "Let's discuss the plan first, then vote on it."

  "It would be much more fun to stand here arguing," Darra said.

  "I say we split into teams," Anakin said. "One team can conduct safety patrols. The other can work on finding the headquarters of the raiders." He knew very well that he wasn't going to be on the team conducting safety patrols. He and Tru would go after the raiders.

  "How?" Ferus asked. "We don't have the resources to comb the whole city."

  "We don't have to. I have an idea," Anakin declared. "Even a Prototype Droid would have a homing device. All we have to do is take one of the droids we deactivated and tap into it."

  "Do you know how to do that?" Darra asked.

  "Sure," Anakin replied.

  "It can't be that easy," Darra said.

  Anakin grinned. "I didn't say it was easy. I said I could do it."

  "Hold on a second," Tru said. "These are Battle Droids.

  Most likely they undergo an automatic memory wipe if they are captured or deactivated."

  "There isn't a memory wipe that I can't get around,"

  Anakin said confidently. "The homing device is coded into the main sensor suite. I can find it. If we revive a droid, it will lead us straight to the headquarters."

  Darra shrugged. "It's worth a try."

  Tru nodded. "All right. I say we go after the headquarters."

  "Then it's decided," Ferus said. "Though I don't think we should split into teams. If Anakin is successful and we do find the headquarters, no doubt there will be more of those Prototype Droids. Too many for one team to handle."

  Privately, Anakin thought that he and Tru could handle the droids, but he nodded. "All right." Obi-Wan had given him a warning that he must cooperate, respecting Jedi values.

  Anakin took that seriously.

  They headed back to the Radnoran family home. The fallen droids still littered the grounds. Anakin found one that was mostly intact. It had lost its arms and its artillery control panel had fused, but the main sensor suite wasn't too badly damaged.

  Anakin removed his utility kit from his belt and went to work. He opened the sensor suite panel. Tru bent over to look.

  "Standard, except for those circuits," he said, pointing.

  "I remember seeing a manual regarding the OOM-9 Battle Droid. This looks similar."

  Anakin was grateful for Tru's photographic memory. Some of the circuitry was new to him. He pointed to a tightly packed array of multicolored wires by the sensory input cable. "Do you remember which wire goes with what?"

  "The green are for locomotion. The white connect to artillery devices. See how they fused and shorted? The blue are for passive-mode sensors. And I think these cables here are part of the signal receiver assembly."

  "I bet the homing device is connected somehow," Anakin murmured.

  "It's a good place to start," Tru agreed.

  Darra seemed interested in their progress, but Anakin could feel Ferus's impatience behind him. He tried to screen it out as he worked.

  "I've got it!" Anakin said at last. "I reconnected the homing device to the locomotion sensor through the sensory plug-in. If I turn it on, the droid should head back to its origin point."

  "Let's give it a try," Tru said.

  "Remind me to get you guys the next time my cornlink malfunctions," Darra said. "You'd probably rebuild it into a cargo lifter."

  "We'll have to move fast to keep the droid in sight,"

  Ferus said. "Is everyone ready?"

  When he saw everyone nod, Anakin switched on the droid.

  They stepped back as it
beeped and checked circuits. Then suddenly it wheeled around and fired its repulsorlift engines, taking off down the boulevard.

  The four Padawans had to race to keep it in sight. They flew down the streets of the city, occasionally Force- jumping past obstacles. They quickly passed through the neighborhood of fine homes, raced through a commercial district, and then found themselves outside a small warehouse. The droid hovered outside for a moment, its head rotating. The Padawans dived behind a wall.