But why hadn’t the indicator cycled through the colors?
“Problem?” Obi-Wan looked at him.
Anakin turned in the seat. The toolkit was clamped to the bottom of the counter. One of the clamps hadn’t engaged all the way. It would rattle during turbulence. He would have noticed it on the flight here.
Someone had been aboard.
Through the windscreen, in the ship next to him, Ry-Gaul gave him a thumbs up.
“No!” Anakin shouted. He jumped forward and hit the comm. “Don’t start the engines!”
Ry-Gaul looked at him, puzzled, and nodded. “Anakin, what?” Obi-Wan asked, frowning at the urgent tone in Anakin’s voice.
“Not sure yet.” Anakin quickly disengaged the hatch and climbed down into the engine. He only a needed a few seconds before he saw it.
He vaulted out of the engine bloc. “We’ve got to get out. The other ship, too!”
Obi-Wan hit the comm. “Evacuate! Now!”
Anakin hit the ramp control at the same time. He, Ferus, Siri, and Obi-Wan charged down. They met Ry-Gaul, Tru, Darra, and Soara.
“Take cover!” Anakin shouted.
The Jedi raced to the opposite side of the landing platform and dived behind a cruiser as the two starships exploded in a fiery blast. They felt the heat on their faces. A wall of air hit them.
Slowly, Anakin rose. He regarded the skeletal frame of the starship with regret.
“That was one sweet cruiser,” he said.
“What happened?” Siri asked.
“I saw an indicator light malfunction. It didn’t cycle through.”
“Which one?” Ry-Gaul asked.
“Fuel baffles. Then I noticed that someone had used the stowed toolkit. When I looked at the engine, I saw that someone had rigged the main reactor to blow on ignition. Then I noticed a small timer. I figured that after the preflight check if takeoff didn’t take place, it would blow anyway.”
“Well done,” Ry-Gaul said.
“Very well done,” Soara seconded, gazing at the burning ships.
“We’re running out of time,” Obi-Wan said. He took out his comlink.
“What are you going to do?” Anakin asked.
“I’m afraid that Teluron Thacker is going to find his courage.”
“I doubt he’ll want to give us a hand,” Siri said.
“He doesn’t have to give us a hand,” Obi-Wan said. “Just a ship.”
Within minutes, Thacker pulled into the landing platform in a large airspeeder with a bright orange shell. He looked at the smoking hulks of the cruisers.
He shuddered. “I’m not going to ask.”
“Thanks for this,” Obi-Wan said as Thacker quickly hopped out of the vehicle.
“It’s the company airspeeder. For clients.” Thacker looked worriedly at the smoking cruisers. “I’m not supposed to lend it out.”
“We’ll take good care of it,” Obi-Wan said.
Anakin looked at the large speeder with disgust. “This will be like driving a gravsled.” He knocked on the decorative fins on the outside. “A gooped-up gravsled, at that.”
“It will fit all of us and it will get us there,” Obi-Wan said. “Drive.”
The Jedi climbed into the airspeeder. Thacker remained outside, watching them.
“At least it has a couple of sniper blasters,” Anakin said approvingly as he surveyed the instrument panel. “They might come in handy.”
“You’ve been a friend to the Jedi,” Obi-Wan told Thacker. “We won’t forget it.”
Thacker swallowed. “I’m sorry.”
“About what?” Obi-Wan said as Anakin powered up the engine.
“It isn’t very fast, or agile…”
“It’s all right.”
“I’m sorry!” Thacker yelled as they took off. “Jumpy fellow,” Siri said, settling into her seat. “Everyone’s jumpy on Korriban,” Darra said. “Can you blame them?”
Anakin guided the airspeeder high above Dreshdae. He entered the coordinates into the computer. “Estimated arrival in ten minutes,” he said, pushing to the maximum speed.
Siri twisted around. “Hey, looks like security cruisers on our tail.”
Suddenly, the comm unit crackled on the emergency channel.
“Attention, Koro-1 Deluxe Airspeeder. Land and show documentation. Stolen vehicle check. This is the Commerce Guild Army Patrol.”
Obi-Wan pressed the transmission button. “Correction. Owner loaned the vehicle. Please check with owner Teluron Thacker.”
“Negative. Owner Teluron Thacker reported vehicle stolen. Land or undergo firepower from laser cannon.”
“Thacker betrayed us,” Obi-Wan told the others. “That’s why he was so jumpy. Somebody got to him.”