QUI-GON JINN'S EXCELLENT ADVENTURE
by ardavenport
- - Part 2
Qui-Gon followed Togi out of the maintenance bay. The younger man strolled ahead, swinging his arms as he led Qui-Gon down a bare, gray duracreet corridor, the white lighting panels in the ceiling not very far above their heads. Togi turned left, then right and then stopped at a bright orange door with yellow and black security warnings striping its middle. Togi paused at an ID scanner while Qui-Gon stayed back. Then he stood in the doorway, blocking it, allowing Qui-Gon to pass through.
Towers of glowing blue-green data stacks rose high up to the ceiling on either side, forming a corridor. Togi led Qui-Gon to a turn to the left and then stepped down into a room surrounded by image screens, com panels, terminals, inputs, computers, network monitors, status screens, outputs, power monitors and controls, and environment controls. Perimeter alerts flashed red on one panel, indicating the place where Qui-Gon had gotten under the outer shields. The computers and power systems before them hummed with information.
Qui-Gon looked all around the room. He casually pushed his robe back and placed a hand on his lightsaber. He began mentally calculating which thing would be more advantageous to destroy first.
"Great, isn't it," Togi said, completely misreading Qui-Gon's interest. He flopped into a cushioned green seat at a central terminal. "I've got everything wired through here. Kakard's whole operation. Air, power, coms, data pass-thrus, sensors, satellites. Course I don't have any of the battle or defense stuff. Kakard doesn't let anybody else run that. But he can't do anything without power from me." Togi proudly patted his chest.
"I see. Very impressive." Qui-Gon spotted a row of wall panels with several thick cables connecting adjoining input and output sockets., along with monitors and a big map showing the power conduit activity to all the buildings, bunkers and underground installations of Kakard's compound.
"But don't worry!" Togi held up a warning hand. "I've got this whole node mirrored on the other side of the compound. As soon as anything, [i]ANYTHING[/i] goes wrong here, the secondary site kicks in. Course, there's only droids running it, but that's enough to keep it running until I can get this place locked down. You wouldn't even see the lights blink."
"Aaah, I see. Very sensible." Qui-Gon took his hand off his lightsaber. He then raised it to the man sitting before him. "But things would run much better if we shut down the power from here. Without activating any of the security alarms."
Togi's eyes lost what focus they had. For a moment.
"Hmmmm, I dunno, man. Kakard's pretty uptight about things. He gets [i]realy mad[/i] if things aren't running the way he likes. Whoa, that dude's scary.
"But he's a [i]great[/i] guy to work for!" Togi added hastily, hands up in affirmation. "He treats us all right, cause he's got a sweat deal goin' on here. He's like the boss-big-man of this whole sector. No trade goes on around this patch of space without him getting his cut first. And if anyone gets out of line, he just blasts down outta hyperspace and rapes and pillages what he wants. They start paying after that." Togi laughed.
Qui-Gon frowned. Togi's praise of the ruthless warlord was shallow, devoid of any experience or real comprehension of what raping and pillages really meant. And it had nothing whatsoever to do with what the Jedi was trying to get the man to do.
Feeling the Force in himself, connecting to everything around, his thoughts intent on what needed to be done, Qui-Gon passing his hand before Togi again.
"I'm sure Kakard wouldn't mind if you shut the power down. In fact, I'm sure he would be pleased if you took the initiative."
"Oh man, you don't know him," Togi denied emphatically, oblivious to the fact that Qui-Gon was telling him he should shut down the power to the warlord's entire compound. "He's like supernova uptight about having everything his way. Like everyone has to call him 'General' or 'General Kakard' or he gets really angry with them. And he's just hyper about how I program the droids. Like he always wants all the latest updates and patches. He's super paranoid about someone slicing the control admin codes and making them shoot at him or something. And he's really, really weird about his office. . . ."
Togi rattled on about his Warlord's various habits and obsessions (with occasional segues into how awesome it was to work for him), leaving the Jedi confounded. Qui-Gon sensed no significant strength of will or focus from the man. In fact his thoughts were quite diffuse. As diffuse as an intangible holo-image. It seemed that the same lack of awareness that caused Togi to not recognize Qui-Gon as an intruder made him transparent to Jedi mind influencing.
"Hey, you want something to eat while you wait for the droid?" Togi suddenly changed subjects. "I got some great snacks."
Flipping his curtain of hair over his shoulder, Togi popped up out of his chair and slouched over to an alcove tucked in between the masses of technology. Qui-Gon followed, looking over Togi's shoulder as he bent down to open a compartment.
Qui-Gon sniffed. He had noticed a faint aroma of burnt plant matter along with the plastic and ozone scent of too many computers crammed too close together. The organic smell intensified, coming out of the storage space from which Togi took out jugs and boxes and brightly colored sealed bags. Qui-Gon could not identify the plant, but his eyes widened when he detected a faint trance of the local spice with it.
"I got dac juice and kerberus berries and dried vepein and some ras," Togi held up the various munchable items for Qui-Gon's approval as he spoke.
"I smell something else in there," Qui-Gon commented, peering into the dark compartment.
Togi grinned.
"Oh, I got some great wap, man. Super-charged. Kakard only gets the best." He put back the food and drink and reached deep into the compartment to bring out a box with a keypad lock. He rapidly tapped in the code and the box top flipped open. Inside Qui-Gon saw small packets of dried purple leaves on which lay a short black pipe with bowl and ignition cup on one end, inhaler on the other and a bulging filter bulb in the middle. Togi breathed deeply and sighed.
"It's great, but I gotta keep out of my stash while the alert's going on. But as soon as those red flashers go down, I'm going to take my own little private vacation. Won't even have to leave my chair." Togi patted the pipe like an old friend. Then he started, looking at Qui-Gon as if he had just appeared before him.
"But hey, take a hit if you want. Gonna be a bit of a wait with Ekto cleaning up. Plenty of time for a quick one." He held up his precious pipe. "I'm not stingy with my stuff, man. I share." Togi put his hand to his chest in testimony that he was a generous host and did not hoard his stash.
The very last thing that Qui-Gon wanted was a 'quick one'. But Togi's vice was an obvious means to influence him to shut down the power without alerting the rest of the compound. At least until it was too late.
A wire-line strategy map of Kakard's moon glowed on a wide screen on the wall to the right of Togi's central terminal. White and yellow triangles indicated the massing Republic and Yumis ships in orbit, waiting for an opening. Qui-Gon had some time to achieve his goal of weakening Kakard's defenses, but the longer he took the greater the chances that the Yumis (Kakard's former allies) might back out of their agreement to rid the nearby systems of the pirates who had been plaguing their trade routes for years. There was even a slight chance that the Yumis might switch sides, if Qui-Gon took too long and defeating Kakard would turn into a costly and difficult battle.
"I would be honored by your generosity."
Togi looked confused and Qui-Gon sensed that his answer was not direct enough.
"Yes, thank-you."
"Great!"
With the ease of long practice, Togi popped open a drug packet, stuffed the contents into the pipe bowl without dropping a single dried leaf fragment and sealed it. He checked the filter indicator, which was green and ready, primed the igniter and then lit it. Togi squeezed the mouth of the inhaler a few times and a fresh burnt plant and spice smell rose from it. Qui-Gon eyed Togi's dirty fingernails.
"Here," Togi handed it up. Qui-Gon accepted, immediately covering the mouth piece of the inhaler with his thumb as soon as Togi turned to close the box and slide it to the back of his storage compartment.
A rapid flat-toned alarm sounded.
- - End Part 2