[Jedi Quest] - 06(6)

Yaddle turned to her and blinked in a gesture that was very much like Yoda’s. “Guarantee, you say? Guarantees, there never are.” She spread her hands. “Help them we will. Courage must they find themselves.”

Euraana nodded. “If we can get the power grid back, we might be able to persuade them to leave the tunnels. And if there was at least some progress with the crimelords - “

“That is our job,” Obi-Wan said, indicating himself and Anakin. “They must be told that if they don’t voluntarily leave the planet, Senate security forces will make them go.”

“If the Senate will send them,” Euraana said worriedly. “They still have not agreed.”

“Agree they will, if take back the city we can,” Yaddle said.

“What if the crimelords don’t listen to talk?” Swanny asked. “In my experience, they seldom do.”

“We have to find a reason to make them listen,” Obi-Wan said. “Everyone is vulnerable somewhere. For now we just need to learn more about their operations.”

“Swanny and Rorq can help you there,” Euraana said. “Aboveground has been so destroyed that even the crimelords have bunkers belowground.”

“Safer down there in case something bad happens,” Swanny said. He grinned at Obi-Wan and Anakin. “We know just about everything that goes on down there.”

“Take us below,” Obi-Wan said. “We’ll be in touch while you take care of the power grid,” he said to Yaddle. Yaddle nodded good-bye.

“If you’ll follow me.” Swanny gave a bow to the Jedi that held a hint of mockery.

Obi-Wan and Anakin strode after the two. Obi-Wan’s instincts were on alert. He had his doubts about the value of Swanny and Rorq’s assistance. They were scruffy, rude, and probably untrustworthy.

Qui-Gon would have befriended them instantly.





CHAPTER THREE


Anakin walked with Obi-Wan, following Swanny through the dark streets to an industrial part of Naatan, an area made even darker by the presence of the shells of unlighted buildings looming overhead. Swanny led them to a booth that was a tall cylinder made of opaque black glass in a passage between two former warehouses.

“This is a forced air tube,” Swanny said. “We use them instead of turbolifts. If you’ve never been on one, it can feel a little strange. You step out on air, and the pressure lessens, dropping you below.” He opened a control panel and punched in a level and a speed. “I’ll keep it slow for your first time. Just don’t ever turn the control to ‘eject.’ That’s what we used to get rid of toxic substances - we’d just blast them into the atmosphere. The roof of the cylinder retracts, and you’d find yourself lost in the clouds.”

“Are there many levels below?” Obi-Wan asked.

“About twenty,” Rorq said. “And the tunnels extend over the entire area of Naatan. It’s like another city down there. You’ll see.”

Rorq stepped into the air tube with no floor. He hung there for a second, grinning at them, then shot below. Swanny gestured. “After you.”

Obi-Wan stepped out into what seemed to be a black void. Anakin heard the faint sound of rushing air. The next thing he knew, his Master had sunk down out of sight.

“Next,” Swanny said.

Anakin stepped into the chamber. It felt strange to feel the air pressure against his boots. He descended, the air rushing against his ears. The sensation felt oddly familiar, even though he’d never been in an airlift before. When he reached the bottom he felt the shock of the ground against his boots and almost stumbled as he stepped off.

Obi-Wan and Rorq were waiting. After a moment, Swanny joined them, stepping off the airlift with the ease of long practice.

“Ah,” Swanny said, spreading his arms to take in the dim, dirty tunnel, “home, sweet home.”

Anakin wrinkled his nose. The air was dank and heavy and smelled stale.

Swanny grinned. “The purification system is hooked into the power grid. Sometimes it’s off, sometimes it’s on. Lately it’s been off.”

Swanny activated a glow rod and they set off down the tunnel. It was wide and high, big enough for the four of them to walk side by side.

“This is one of the main transport tunnels,” Swanny explained. “We used to have speeders operating along here. Now we motor the old-fashioned way.”

Obi-Wan glanced around at the network of tunnels branching off from the one they were walking down. “I don’t know how you keep from getting lost.”

“There are map kiosks, but when the power’s down, we can’t access them,” Rorq said. “Luckily, we could find our way around down here blindfolded. Patrol, Swanny.”