[Jedi Quest] - 07(18)

The ship slowed and dipped. Obi-Wan counted out the seconds. At the last possible moment, he disengaged the cable. Bracing himself, he fell through the air, landing hard. He felt the jolt up to his eyebrows. He rolled and ducked behind a parked ship.

He caught his breath as the ship he had hitched a ride on came to a stop. Droids began to unload cargo. He saw a small utility shed nearby and quickly headed for it.

The shed held tools and equipment. Obi-Wan searched and was glad to find what he was looking for, a bin full of greasy coveralls. He pulled a pair on. Then he quickly darted out of the shed. His surveillance through his electrobinoculars had given him a rough outline of the camp. He knew the prisoners filed out into the yard at this time. There was always some confusion as they poured out of the buildings. He couldn’t have arrived at a better time.

He walked briskly across the landing pad as if he belonged there. Then he struck out toward the fenced yard. He had tucked a servodriver in his pocket, and he pretended to be checking the energy fence as he moved down, searching the crowd for Anakin.

He saw Shalini. She sat, removed from the others, close to the fence. Her head was bowed and her hands were clasped in front of her. He made his way down the length of the fence toward her.

She lifted her head as he came near. At first she didn’t see him. Her gaze passed over him, just another one of her captors, as she sought the sky. Then she jerked her gaze back to him. Obi-Wan admired her discipline. She gave no sign that she had recognized him.

Instead she casually scooted back until she was closer to the fence. She absently drew in the dirt with a finger, looking casual.

“Is everyone all right?” Obi-Wan asked, bending over with the servodriver.

“Yes. But Anakin has been taken away. No one knows why.”

“Where?”

“There is a gray building across the compound. Unmarked. He was taken there. Listen, they don’t know who we are yet. They don’t know he’s a Jedi. Which makes me think.”

He was anxious to find Anakin, but Obi-Wan bent closer to hear what Shalini would say. “If Mezdec had gone straight to Vanqor, he would be there by now. He would have told them we were traveling in Vanqor airspace and they would have figured out who we are. Which tells me that Mezdec didn’t go to Vanqor.”

“Where do you think he went?”

“I think he went to TyphaDor. He would assume that either we had been captured or we were still making our way there.”

“But why would he go to TyphaDor?”

“To deliver the invasion plans. But not the real ones.”

Obi-Wan let out a breath. “Of course. They would accept whatever he would bring as real.”

“He will destroy us single-handedly,” Shalini said, her voice raw. “All is lost.”

“No,” Obi-Wan said. “If we can make it in time - ” “Anakin has the disk. You must get it - “

“You there!” An angry voice cut through Shalini’s words. “Attendance check!”

“Find him and go. Don’t worry about us. Save Typha Dor.”

Shalini rose and walked off, unwilling to risk exposing Obi-Wan.

Obi-Wan tucked the servodriver in his pocket and went off in search of the building Shalini had indicated. He knew from experience that wearing dirty coveralls and affecting a purposeful stride would render him close to invisible.

He found the building and decided his best course was to walk right in. He was making up his plans now as he went along, counting on his connection to the Force to guide him. He found himself in a small vestibule. A security checkpoint was just inside the plain durasteel door.

“Checking on those valves in the air handlers,” Obi-Wan said.

The officer looked down at his datascreen. “I didn’t get an alert.”

Obi-Wan shrugged. “I’ll come back. They probably won’t blow.”

The officer nodded, then did a double take. “Hold on. Probably?”

Obi-Wan shrugged again.

The officer sighed. “I’m not going to get blamed for this one. Come on in.” He pressed a button, deactivating the security shield. Obi-Wan strolled in, as though he had all the time in the world.

As soon as he was out of sight, he walked rapidly down the corridors, looking in open doors and observation windows. Many of the rooms were empty. He rounded a corner and saw a pair of double doors. Through a window he saw a courtyard dappled with sunlight.

He drew closer to the window. Anakin sat on a bench, his hands in his lap. He didn’t appear to have been abused. He wasn’t in pain. Nothing about him had altered, and yet… he looked different somehow.

Something was wrong. Something was off. And Obi-Wan didn’t have time to analyze it. He had to get Anakin out of here.