“Yes, she seemed so,” Qui-Gon said. “But you noticed she manipulated the Leader so that he would throw us out.”
“She is lying,” Adi said.
Qui-Gon shot Adi a quick glance. “You are certain?”
Adi nodded. “I don’t know why. Something in her words is false.” Her steps slowed, and she stopped. “I feel that he is here. Somewhere near.”
“Moor is on the royal grounds?” Qui-Gon asked. “Let’s return to Min K’atel and demand that he search.”
Adi shook her head. “It’s only a feeling.” “That is all we have! What good are your instincts, Adi, if you do not trust them?”
Adi met his gaze sternly. “I trust them. But I do not expect them to sway others. We cannot involve a government in our investigation without proof. You know that as well as I do.”
Qui-Gon struggled with his impatience. His mind was tired, his body spent. He was not connecting to the Force as Adi was. His ragged nerves screamed for an end to this.
Adi had spoken to him of cooperation and loyalty. He would have to submit to her wishes now. She had just as much right to choose a direction as he did.
“What, then?” he asked. “What do you suggest?”
“Let us follow our suspicions to the logical next step,” Adi said. “We must have permission to search those grounds. Min K’atel is not likely to give it to us as things stand. We will have to convince him. There is one last place to go.”
Qui-Gon nodded. “The water purification plant. But we’ll never get permission to enter.”
“Then we’ll just have to break in,” Adi said grimly. “Yes, sometimes I do act on my instincts, Qui-Gon. The answer lies there.”
CHAPTER 17
The plant was gated and heavily guarded. No doubt the security had been increased because of the bacterial invasion. The Jedi hovered in a heavily forested area on the fenced perimeter. Qui-Gon swept the area with macrobinoculars.
“There are none of the usual ways to breach security,” he noted. “Anyone entering must go through a retinal scan. There are guard droids posted at every entrance. Even after we took care of the guards, we would have to break in with our lightsabers. And that would most likely trigger a full-scale security alert.”
“We want to get in and out without being seen,” Adi said.
“Not to mention without any loss of life,” Qui-Gon added. He stared at the plant, thinking. Then, suddenly, he saw a way. “Of course,” he said. “We can’t walk in. But we can swim.”
The Great Sea narrowed to a fast-moving river downstream from the plant. The water foamed around boulders and formed mini-falls in the center of the river.
“The current is very strong.” Adi glanced at Qui-Gon. He saw the concern on her face. “Maybe it would be better if only one team goes in.”
“We have a better chance if we all do.” Qui-Gon took out his breathing tube and was the first to wade into the shockingly cold water.
“When we get to the in-draw pipes, there will most likely be a filter covering the opening,” Qui-Gon said. “We can’t use our lightsabers, so we’ll have to use vibrocutters. Stay close to us, Padawans. Do not be afraid to ask for our help if you tire.”
And you, Qui-Gon? Will you ask for help if you need it?
Adi’s dark gaze asked the question. He ignored it.
The Jedi slipped underwater. Qui-Gon felt the current pull him along. It was carrying him in the right direction, but he had to take care not to bump against the boulders or get caught in the swirling eddys. It took all of his strength.
The current swept them toward the pipes. As they got closer, they felt themselves being sucked along even faster. Now the danger would lie in being slammed up against the filters.
As they approached the pipes, Adi motioned to them to fight the current. Waving their arms to slow their pace, they managed to gently bump against the giant filter. Already Qui-Gon had reached for his vibrocutter. He and Adi went to work as their Padawans hung on to the grates.
Quickly, they sliced a hole in the filters and motioned their Padawans through first. Immediately after entering the pipe, they were sucked along by the action of the water, bumping on the sides of the pipe, turning and tumbling until Qui-Gon did not know which way was up. His shoulder wound cried out at the twisting motion. By the time he spilled out into a giant tank, he was overcome with dizziness.
He felt Obi-Wan touch his shoulder. His Padawan had noticed his distress. Qui-Gon nodded to let Obi-Wan know he was all right even as he fought his queasiness.
They quickly swam to the side of the tank and swung themselves up and over the side. They were in a large viaduct made of stone. Banks of equipment surrounded the tank. Further on the water was treated, but here, machines took random samplings of its quality.