time..
Look for the obvious first. Use what you know. Then move on.
He heard Qui-Gon's words as clearly as if his Master had spoken in
his ear. "It could be," he murmured.
Astri only half-heard him. "What did you say?" "S P 1 2," Obi-Wan
said. "That's the astrogation abbreviation for Simpla-12."
"So it is," Cholly agreed.
"Could Ren have been held on Simpla-12?" Obi-Wan asked them.
"You could hide anything on Simpla-12," Weez said. "But when he left
for the lab, Ren told us he was going off-planet."
"Did you actually see him leave?" Obi-Wan asked urgently.
"No," Tup said. "He said good-bye at a caf©."
"The rest could be an address," Obi-Wan said, staring down at the
durasheet. "How is Sim First mapped?"
"By quads and blocks," Weez offered.
"Everything is on level one," Tup said. "There are plans for levels
two and three, but no one on Simpla-12 can get organized enough to build."
Obi-Wan pointed to the sequence. "Level One, Quad Two, Block Unit 3,"
he said.
Astri stared at the letters and numbers. "Are you sure?" she asked
doubtfully. "This could mean anything."
"I'm not sure of anything," Obi-Wan admitted. "But I say we return to
Simpla-12."
CHAPTER 17
Obi-Wan hailed an air taxi to transport the group to the Temple. As
they zoomed through the crowded air lanes, he turned to Cholly, Weez, and
Tup.
"I need your help. But we're not going to steal the medicines in
order to sell them," he told them. "It would be wrong."
Cholly, Weez, and Tup looked at one another as if this concept was
new to them.
"But we helped you," Cholly pointed out, disappointed.
"Why should we keep helping you, if we don't get anything?" Weez
asked plaintively.
"This scientist has a bounty hunter working for her named Ona Nobis,"
Obi-Wan said. "There's a reward for her capture."
"Hey, wait a second," Astri said. "That reward is mine!"
Obi-Wan shot her an impatient look. "You can share it. We need their
help. And we need it now."
Astri's aggrieved look faded. "You're right."
Obi-Wan scrawled a few items on a durasheet and handed it to Cholly,
Weez, and Tup. "Once we get to Simpla-12, we need you to find these items
as quickly as you can. Then you'll meet us at the address."
Cholly looked at the list, puzzled. "Obviously, you are crazy, my
friend." Then he grinned and tucked the durasheet into his tunic. "But
perhaps you will make our fortune. So we're with you."
Obi-Wan had called ahead to alert Tahl that they were coming. He saw
her erect figure on the landing platform as they docked. She had agreed to
supply him with air transport back to Simpla-12.
Astri leaped from the air taxi as soon as it docked.
"My father?"
"The same," Tahl said. "Obi-Wan, who is with you?"
"Some new friends," Obi-Wan explained. He drew Tahl aside and told
her what he'd discovered. "I don't know for sure if Zan Arbor's lab is on
Simpla-12," he said. "But there's a chance it could be. And there's a good
chance that the antitoxin Didi needs is still stored there - along with
Qui-Gon."
"A slight chance is better than none," Tahl said thoughtfully. "If
you feel strongly that you must pursue this, then you should do so. But if
you find that you are right, contact me immediately. If Jenna Zan Arbor
knows that someone has found her, she could kill Qui-Gon."
"I know," Obi-Wan said quietly. "But if I could get inside and find
Qui-Gon without alerting her, we would have the information we need to send
in the Jedi."
"But how could you do this?" Tahl asked. "And are you sure you could
get out again?"
He wasn't sure if he could. But it didn't matter. He had to save Qui-
Gon and Didi. That was most important. Obi-Wan glanced at Astri. "I have a
plan."
"Do not take any impulsive action, Obi-Wan," Tahl warned. "Simpla-12
is not far. I can send several teams to you if they are needed. And make
sure there is no surveillance on the building from the outside. Nothing
must alert her that you are there."
"I would never endanger Qui-Gon's life," Obi-Wan told her soberly.
"But I feel that the longer he remains her captive, the more danger he is
in."
"I believe this, too," Tah I said softly. Her comlink signaled, and
she frowned. "Now I must go.
Several teams are pursuing important leads. May the Force be with
you, Obi-Wan."
Tahl hurried away. Obi-Wan climbed into the transport, where Astri
and the others were waiting. He powered up the engines and headed straight
for the upper atmosphere. With every second, he felt Qui-Gon's life was
dwindling. With all his heart, he begged Qui-Gon silently to hold on.
Quad Two was on the very outskirts of Sim-First. Here, any attempts
to keep order or cleanliness were abandoned. Many of the buildings were
sealed with durasteel sheeting. An occasional speeder flashed by, but there
were no pedestrians on the walkways.
Astri squinted through the drizzle. "I didn't think Sim-First could
get any worse," she murmured.
Obi-Wan consulted a handheld nav computer. "Block Unit Three is this
way."
As they walked, the neighborhood deteriorated further. Clouds
thickened until the day turned as dark as evening. It was easy to stay
concealed. The area was all shadow. Many of the glow lights overhead had
not been maintained. Occasionally one would send a weak spot of
illumination onto the walkway.
Obi-Wan stopped. A short distance away, across the walkway, was a
large, windowless building made of shiny black metal. It took up an entire
block unit. He pulled Astri back into the shadow of an overhang.
"That's it."
Remembering Tahl's instruction, Obi-Wan left Astri to watch the
entrance and skirted around the side of the building. He moved from shadow
to shadow, checking for surveillance devices. He climbed onto the roof of a
nearby building to inspect the roof below. He could see no evidence of
guards. He used his macro-binoculars to study the building from all sides.
He returned to Astri. "Security must be inside. There's a visual
monitor by the front door. There's no thumbprint register or retinal scan.
That's good. I have a feeling about this, Astri. This must be the lab."
She looked behind them. "Are you sure you can trust Cholly and the
others to come through?"
"Don't worry. They'll do anything for credits," Obi-Wan said.
They didn't have long to wait. Before long, they heard footsteps
approaching. Cholly, Tup, and Weez hurried down the street, casting
apprehensive glances around.
"Woosh, I'm glad we found you," Tup said as they approached. His
round eyes were full of anxiety. "I didn't know Sim-First could be so
scary."
"Did you get what I asked?" Obi-Wan inquired.
Cholly unloaded a number of items from his pack. He handed one to
Obi-Wan. "Hope it fits."
"It's for Astri," Obi-Wan said as he handed the black viso
r to her.
Astri fitted it over her head. It obscured her features and gave her
a menacing look. "It's fine," she said.
She took it off and shook out her long, curly hair. Next Obi-Wan
handed her a pair of high leather boots. Shrugging out of her tunic, she
buckled her utility belt tighter around her waist and pulled on the boots.
"One more thing," Obi-Wan said. "I'm sorry, Astri, but - "
She gritted her teeth. "Go ahead."
Using a vibro-razor Cholly handed him, Obi-Wan first trimmed, then
carefully shaved off Astri's pretty curls.
"Such a shame," Tup murmured.
Astri's face was set in determined lines. "It's worth it."
When he had finished, Astri fitted the dark visor over her eyes. Her
shaved skull gleamed. Obi-Wan handed her Ona Nobis's whip. She coiled it
and fastened it to her utility belt. With the extra height of her heeled
boots, she resembled the bounty hunter.
"I just hope they don't look too closely," Obi-Wan said. He turned to
Cholly, Weez, and Tup. "You stay here. If the real Ona Nobis turns up, do
your best to keep her out of the building. She's very fast, very clever."
"It's three against one," Cholly said. "How can we fail?"
"You have surprise in your favor," Obi-Wan said. "I gave you a
contact number for Tahl at the Temple. If Astri isn't out again in ten
minutes, call Tahl and tell her to send the teams after us."
"We will take care of everything," Weez assured them.
Obi-Wan wasn't so sure, but he hoped that Ona Nobis wouldn't show up
at all. He didn't need much time.
He and Astri strode across the walkway to the building entrance.
"What did you mean, if I don't come out?" Astri asked him under her
breath. "What about you?"
"If we find Qui-Gon and can't release him, you must leave without me,
" he told her. "Contact Tahl and tell her what happened."
"I can't leave you, Obi-Wan - "
"You have to," he said firmly. "I am your prisoner. Hand me over if
you have to, then look for the medicines. Then leave. Promise me. You could
be Qui-Gon's last hope."
He couldn't see her eyes behind the helmet, but Astri pressed her
lips together grimly. "I promise."
She pressed the button. Obi-Wan noted that her fingers were shaking.
What if Ona Nobis was already inside? Once again, Obi-Wan marveled at her
courage. Astri accepted her fear and charged ahead.
"You're as good as a Jedi," he told her softly.
He could not see her expression under the visor, but she reached out
and briefly squeezed his hand in thanks.
The face of a guard appeared on the screen. Obi-Wan recognized the
fine, feathery fur and the triangular eyes of a Quint.
"It's me," Astri said bluntly, pitching her voice low.
"What are you doing here?" the guard asked. "I have a Jedi prisoner,"
Astri barked impatiently. "Let me in."
The screen went blank. Obi-Wan felt the seconds tick away. Would they
be allowed to enter?
The door hissed open. Obi-Wan saw Astri take a deep breath. Then they
walked together into the secret lab.
The door shut behind them. They stood in a narrow hallway with a
smooth polished floor. There was one double door ahead of them with a small
viewing window. They started toward it.
The door suddenly opened and the same Quint guard who had appeared on
the monitor hurried toward them.
"We're busy here, you know," he snapped. "You'll have to bring the
prisoner to holding room C yourself."
"I don't take orders from you," Astri snapped back.
"Why isn't the prisoner restrained?" the Quint asked suddenly, his
steps slowing. "You always use servo-cuffs with prisoners." His hand went
for his blaster.
hoped to get farther than this, but at least they were inside. Obi-Wan
reached out and unfurled Astri's whip in one smooth gesture. He snapped it
overhead, aiming for the Quint guard. It wrapped around his ankle and Obi-
Wan pulled back with a jerk. The Quint went down with a howl. Obi-Wan
jumped forward and quickly wound the whip around the guard, restraining his
arms and legs. Then he dragged him past the double doors into a long
hallway. Astri ran ahead and accessed a door, which hissed open, revealing
an empty holding room. Obi-Wan dumped him inside.
"We'd better hurry," he said. "No doubt he's supposed to report back.
And there are probably more guards."
There were hallways to the left and to the right, and one door at the
end of the hallway straight ahead. It was broken and had been left slightly
open, its frame bent. Obi-Wan felt the Force surge. His Master was beyond
that door.
Obi-Wan motioned to Astri to hang back. Hugging the wall, he moved
silently toward the door. He inched over to peer through the opening.
The lab was bright white and filled with equipment. At first he
thought no one was there. Then he looked again at a transparent chamber
filled with vapor. Through the clouds of gas Obi-Wan clearly saw his
Master, imprisoned. Qui-Gon's eyes were closed. He could even be dead.
Obi-Wan wanted to rush into the lab and smash the chamber into a
thousand pieces. But he remembered Tahl's warning to be careful. He took a
breath and let his anger go. He must concentrate, he must be calm.
He signaled to Astri to follow him and entered.
He approached the transparent chamber. He put his hands on the smooth
wall. Qui-Gon floated, his eyes still closed. Obi-Wan felt choked with
anguish at the sight. He knew his Master was alive. Yet he felt as though
he had witnessed his death.
He didn't think his voice would penetrate the chamber. Obi-Wan spoke
his Master's name quietly. "Qui-Gon."
Qui-Gon's eyes opened. He saw Obi-Wan. He smiled. He mouthed the
words.
I knew that you would come...
Obi-Wan put his hand on his lightsaber. "Obi-Wan!" Astri hissed.
"Someone's coming!"
He hesitated.
"You can't release him yet," Astri whispered. "If anyone knows we are
here, we might not be able to get out again."
Obi-Wan looked desperately at Qui-Gon. He had come so far. He had
made so many decisions. He did not know what to do now.
Wait, Qui-Gon mouthed. He signaled with a glance that Obi-Wan should
hide.
Obi-Wan heard footsteps. He whirled and grabbed Astri's hand. They
dove behind a pile of equipment just as the scientist walked in.
CHAPTER 18
Jenna Zan Arbor spoke into a comlink as she walked to her lab table.
"Nil!" she barked. "Nil! Where are you?"
She banged the comlink down on the table. "Probably turned it off
again, the brainless fool."
Bending over, she studied the data streaming across the screen. She
turned and smiled at Qui-Gon. Then she pressed a button on the console. No
doubt this would carry her voice inside the chamber.
"Ah, some Force activity. Thank you. But it won't save you, my
friend. I am done with you. But I'll take all your blood before I let you
go."
She released the butt
on and picked up the comlink again. "Nil! Bring
Ona Nobis to me immediately! Nil! Usually she's in a hurry to get paid."
She looked at the comlink in disgust, then threw it down and stalked out of