20070829
A Smelly SituationAs we sat in the seedy cantina, the plan was forming.
“We have to be prepared for any surprise attacks as well,” Obi-Wan said.
I ordered a drink and nearly spit it out when I took a sip. I made face. "Dirt! Yeah, but we can only plan for that so far. Once we get in, they'll know we are there."
"We have to disguise our Force signatures as soon as we get close to the premises. Otherwise we compromise the rescue mission." He shoved his drink way.
I nodded, agreeing. "There should be a entrance to the sewage system close to warehouse. Down here, there are garbage dumps everywhere, but as you can see, they don't use them much."
He nodded. I could sense his distress. Like I said, it not often you see Obi-Wan off his game. This bothered him a lot. Not that I blame him. It angered me to no end what that woman did it him. I wouldn’t mind getting my hands on her.
As we walked out, there were eyes watching us. I ignored them outwardly but in the back of my mind, I was watching. Outside, Artoo rolled out the shadows and followed us down the trash-ridden street, beeping at my heels. I dropped Artoo and my pack off in the equally wonderful domicile Obi-Wan had and met him back on the street.
I lifted my chin. "Lets get close to the warehouse and find the entrance to the sewers."
We walked in silence until we found the cover to the sewage entrance. "You first,” he said, waving his hand, half-grinning.
The entrance was located in a back ally. A gapping hole in the wall that angle down in a shoot, ending up at the bottom. I jumped up on the lip and gave Obi-Wan a half smile. "Naturally," I said and disappeared inside.
I hit the bottom with a splash, but before I pushed with Force and managed not to end up on my backside in ankle deep sludge. I backed out of the way as Obi-Wan came out the shoot and landing his backside. I held out hand to my former master.
"Need a hand?"
He grabbed my hand and jumped up with a disgusted look on his bearded face. "Thanks," Obi-Wan muttered.
I tried not smile. I lifted a finger and pointed to his cheek. "You might want to get that off."
The rather large insect squeaked as he swatted it off his face. "We need to go that way." He pointed to the canal leading down to the left.
I shrugged off my robe. Thankfully my backside wasn't as wet as I knew his was. Of course I didn't fall either. "Take your robe off. You might dry faster."
"Ah, good idea." He shed the wet garment and looked with revulsion at his boots. "I dare not take anything else off."
I handed him mine, which was mostly dry. "Wipe off or they'll smell you coming," I had to joke.
"Thanks." He wiped off. It didn’t help much. I could still smell it. But I wasn’t going to say it. “Let’s go.”
20070818
Underbelly of CoruscantI eyed the ragged, dank looking cantina, and thought to myself, what a lovely place. When I stepped inside, the first thing that hit me was the smell. It was fowl. But through the haze of smoke and dregs of life forms, I spotted a familiar hooded figure in the back at the bar.
Keeping hood over my head, mostly because anyone could recognize me, I moved through the crowd. I walked up to the bar and leaned on the top. "Nice place you've found,” I muttered. “You look like poodoo warmed over.”
The hooded head looked my way. "About time you got here." Obi-Wan replied.
"Well, you know how it goes. I had to smell my way around the undercity," I said, gazing over.
"Glad you found me." He motioned for me to sit down. "We are dealing with quite the mess and our plan has to be aggressive but sensitive as well."
I slid down on the stool, which was ready to break as it were. "Aggressive works. Any idea where Adana and the others are?”
"I could sense Adana for a while but lost her. Force only knows what Octavia and Marusi have done to her. They are capable of anything." He stared at me. "We have to be fast if we want to see her alive. Octavia will not let her go like she did with me... And then there are three younglings who have gone missing as well. Master Windu informed me that he had sent Adana to find them."
I nodded, remembering. "Alright. We need a plan." His eyebrow shot up. "I don't always jump in saber blazing, master."
"I know that, my friend. You are better than that."
I thought. "Do you have an idea where Octavia has them?"
"There is an abandoned ware house about a click kilometer or so away from here." He opened the holo map for me to see.
I gazed over the holomap. "Heavily guarded too. Two ways in, that we can see. I bet there is third." I pointed down. "Underground and I bet it’s less guarded. They wouldn't think we would know about it or try that way."
"The only safe way is through the sewage system." I smirked at him. "Brings back memories, doesn't it,” Obi-Wan muttered.
I smiled. "I can hold my nose if you can."
"No problems here." Obi-Wan closed the holo. "Once we are inside we need to find the chamber with the younglings first. I don't even want to imagine what he might have done to them."
My eyes narrowed. "We need to figure out where to hide them while we get Adana. If we send them down the sewer they will have to keep going, and might get lost. and its going to take both us to gat Adana."
"I know. There has to be a way to hide them for the time being."
I thought it over. I reached in my pack. "I have an idea." I pulled out a small beacon. "This a cloned beacon of the one I keep on me. If we give this to the younglings and tell them to run, I can track them after we get out. No matter where they are." I just hoped he didn’t ask why I had cloned my own beacon.
"It is brilliant. This way we can assure their safety why trying to free Adana.”
20070808
DawnI sat staring at the holo, lost in thought. I kept seeing Kelian’s dead face. I hate death. I hate touching it, feeling it, seeing it. My eyes were seeing the holo but mind was seeing the message written in blood.
You will fail.
Kelian took the coward’s way out by killing herself. No matter what she had done, she could have turned from it, made amends. Her heart wasn’t completely cold, I sensed that. There had been a chance for redemption. But not now. Death takes away that option.
“General Skywalker?” I looked up at Commander Cody. “There is transmission coming in from you. It’s General Kenobi, at least I think it is.”
“What do you mean?”
“There is encryption code attached to it I’ve never seen it before. It doesn’t match any I aware of,” Cody told me.
I stood up. “Show me.”
I leaned over counsel and patched in. I recognized it immediately. It was a private distress code that the two of us used. Only I know how to decipher the code. Which I did swiftly, a static filled holo of Obi-Wan flashed up.
“I have been on the trail of Marusi for several days. No sign of the younglings adducted but now Master Adana has been taken as well. I have discovered that Octavia is with Marusi, Anakin. They are both here and are behind this, I’m sure of it. I need your help on this. Make sure everything is secure on Geonosis before you leave but make it fast. I should have more information by the time you get here. I’m in the lower levels, I know you can find me easily.”
The holo faded. First thought: why not get help from someone closer from the Temple? Second thought: who better than me? No, that’s not my ego. Obi-Wan and myself worked better together than any other team. And with the way I fly, I could get there fast.
Anger washed over me. Octavia and Marusi. Octavia had did some pretty horrible things to Obi-Wan once before, a long time ago. Not much of it he remembers, but there is enough residual impression left from the experience that makes his face go a bit white when it’s mentioned.
It’s not often you see Obi-Wan Kenobi off his game.
“Cody, I’m leaving you and your men under Tarvis’ command,” I said whipping around.
“Yes, sir. Are you sure we shouldn’t come with you?” Cody asked.
“No, this is a delicate matter. Troops would make the situation worse.”
I thought of all the Jedi Knights missing, Barriss, D.J. and countless others, and now Adana.
It was time I did something about that. Starting now.
“Then again,” I gave Cody a clever smile. “A garrison hiding in the shadows can’t hurt, can it?”
